Discount Tire's anti-marijuana donation spurs calls for boycott

(AZCentral) Discount Tire Co. quietly donated $1 million to the campaign opposing the legalization of marijuana for recreational use, prompting calls for a boycott by some who want the drug legal through Proposition 205. The tire company chain was founded by Bruce Halle, who lives in Paradise Valley and has an estimated net worth of $6.3 billion, according to Forbes' 2016 list of richest Americans. A spokesman for the company did not respond Monday to The Republic's inquiry about the donation. Halle is an ally of Gov. Doug Ducey, who is raising money to oppose Prop. 205. Prop. 205 asks Arizona voters to decide whether marijuana should be legal for adults to use in private, transport and grow it in their homes. The measure would create a retail system in Arizona that would be regulated and taxed by the state. The measure creates more lenient penalties for most marijuana violations. Discount Tire's donation, posted on the Secretary of State's website, is the No on Prop. 205's largest. The disclosure prompted a backlash from supporters of marijuana legalization, who encouraged voters to call the company to complain about the donation, and to withhold their business.