Márquez Peterson ran unsuccessfully for Congress District 2 in 2018.  She returns this year for a run at a spot on the Arizona Corporation Commission.  Márquez Peterson did not respond to our survey despite repeated attempts at contact.  As president of the Tucson Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Márquez Peterson was featured in a KOLD News 13 story in September of 2016 regarding the initiative to legalize that year:  “But in Tucson, president of the Tucson Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Lea Marquez-Peterson said the group opposes the initiative and said THCC recently began working with Arizonans for Responsible Drug Policy (ARDP) in an effort to educate the community about their concerns.  In a recent newsletter, THCC said legalizing marijuana for retail sale and recreational use “is not a simple social issue.” Marquez-Peterson said business owners are concerned with the inability to have a drug-free work place. “Either they’re concerned about safety, and having that drug-free workplace or they’re speaking to their attorneys trying to figure out, what are the ramifications that someone comes to work stoned or has traces of marijuana in their system, what do I do?,” said Marquez-Peterson. “It’s very gray, so this is not a good direction for the state of Arizona.””  

Marquez Peterson told the Arizona Daily Independent in January of 2016 that “We believe that our State’s efforts to curb substance abuse and addiction in our workplaces, health care, education, and public safety institutions will be negatively impacted by this initiative.”  Clearly, Márquez Peterson might benefit from some reprogramming relative to cannabis.