Arizona

Navigating Arizona State Laws:

Patients and Caregivers: Enrolling and Accessing Medical Cannabis

Medical Professionals: Procedures for recommending Medical Cannabis

Policymakers and Advocates: Actions Needed to Improve Laws for Patients

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For more information about cannabis safety, download ASA's "What’s in Your Cannabis? A Patient & Consumer Guide to Navigating Cannabis Safety."

NOTICE: It can be challenging for patients to determine which businesses offering cannabis products are licensed and approved by the state. Review this list of medical cannabis retailers and/or a list of adult use retailers to find out where to purchase regulated cannabis in Arizona. 

Traveling? Get more information about traveling in the US here.

Home cultivation is allowed in Arizona, licensed patients and their caregivers who reside further than 25 miles from a medical cannabis dispensary may legally grow up to six cannabis plants. 

Get involved locally!

Background on State Laws

In 2010, the Arizona Medical Marijuana Act (AMMA) became the result of Arizona voters approving the Arizona Medical Marijuana Question (Prop 203), allowing patients with an Arizona registry ID card to use cannabis for medical purposes. This established protections for patients and caregivers. Patients and their caregivers may possess up to 2.5 ounces of usable cannabis and may cultivate up to 12 plants if they live at least 25 miles away from a registered dispensary. Arizona offers the same legal protections to out of state patients; however, they may not shop at in state dispensaries as patients. 

Since then, the legislature has passed several laws restricting the rights of patients. In 2019, an Arizona court ruled that a recommendation letter from a California doctor is just as valid as an AZ-issued medical cannabis ID card, which has significant implications for patient reciprocity. Cannabis was made legal to all adults in Arizona through a ballot initiative in the 2020 election. Just 80 days after the measure was passed, patient access was made a secondary priority as recreational sales were opened up to the public using the supply chain made for medical cannabis patients. In November of 2020 improved medical cannabis testing standards and reduced patient fees authorized under SB 1494 in 2019 went into effect. Details on how these laws apply to patients and medical professionals can be found below. 

In 2020, Prop 207 passed requiring Arizona courts to expunge records for "certain possession, consumption, transportation, and cultivation offenses" by petition. On May 30, 2023 the Arizona Court of Appeals ruled that those convicted of possession with the intent to sell are also eligible for expungement. Forms and instructions for the expungement process are available online.

Here is a breakdown of how Arizona fared in ASA’s Annual State of the States Report, which evaluates the effectiveness of each state cannabis program from a patient perspective and assigns a grade using a rubric that reflects the key issues affecting patient access. Medical cannabis laws are constantly changing, ASA’s policy recommendations for Arizona can be found below. For policy updates Sign Up here or Take Action!

Patient Rights and Civil Protections	96/100
Arrest Protection 25/25 Affirmative Defense 20/20 Parental Rights Protections 16/20 Employment Protections 20/20 DUI Protections 10/10 Explicit Privacy Standards 5/5
Accessibility	75/100
Authorizes Retail Access 10/10 Alternative Accessibility Methods 20/20 - Authorizes Delivery 10/10 - Authorizes Curbside Pickup 10/10 Personal Cultivation 15/15 Collective Gardening 0/5 Sufficient Number of Licensed Retailers 20/30 Reciprocity 10/20
Program Functionality	50/100
Legal Protections Within Reasonable Time Frame 14/20 Reasonable Possession Limits 10/10 Reasonable Purchase Limits 10/10 Telemedicine for Physician Certifications 0/15 Patient and Physician Representation in Program Decision Making 0/20 Reasonable Caregiver Standards 3/5 - Background Checks 2/2 - Number of Caregivers 1/3 Reasonable Physician Standards 3/5 Access to Administration Methods 10/10 - Allows Dried Flower 5/5 - Allows Edibles, Concentrates, and Other Forms 5/5 Provides Access to Minors on School Grounds 0/5
Affordability	55/100
Sales Tax Break for Patients and Caregivers 10/20 Covered by State Insurance or Health Aid 0/20 Reasonable Registration Fees 20/20 Financial Hardship Waivers or Discounts 15/20 Donation Program 0/10 Allows Multi-Year Registrations 10/10
Health and Social Equity	66/100
State Program Protections 5/25 Housing Protections 25/25 Access for Minors 8/10 Access in Underserved Areas 7/10 List of Qualifying Conditions is Exhaustive or All Inclusive 9/10 Allows Patients to Medicate Where they Choose 5/10 Organ Transplants 5/5 Ownership or Employment Restrictions 2/5
Consumer Protection and Product Safety	115/200
Cultivation Operations 18/50 Quality Management Systems 0/10 Staff Training 5/10 Standard Operating Procedures 6/8 - Facility and Equipment Sanitation 1/1 - Workplace Safety 0/1 - Storage 1/1 - Batch and Lot Tracking 1/1 - Security 1/1 - Waste Disposal 1/1 - Water Management 0/1 - Records Management 1/1 Pesticide Usage Limitations 1/2 Environmental Impact Regulations 0/2 Required Testing 5/8 - Cannabinoids 1/1 - Terpenes 0/1 - Microbials 1/1 - Aflatoxins 1/1 - Pesticides 1/1 - Heavy Metals 1/1 - Foreign Matter 0/1 - Moisture Content/ Water Activity 0/1 Packaging and Labeling 1/3 - Cannabinoids 1/1 - Terpenes 0/1 - Pesticides 0/1 Complaints, Adverse Event Reporting, and Recall Protocol 0/7 Manufacturing Operations 19/50 Quality Management Systems 0/10 Staff Training 5/10 Standard Operating Procedures 6/7 - Facility and Equipment Sanitation 1/1 - Workplace Safety 0/1 - Storage 1/1 - Batch and Lot Tracking 1/1 - Security 1/1 - Waste Disposal 1/1 - Records Management 1/1 Environmental Impact Regulations 0/3 Required Testing 6/10 - Cannabinoids 1/1 - Terpenes 0/1 - Microbials 1/1 - Aflatoxins 1/1 - Pesticides 1/1 - Heavy Metals 1/1 - Residual Solvents 1/1 - Homogeneity 0/1 - Foreign Matter 0/1 - Water Activity 0/1 Packaging and Labeling 2/5 - Cannabinoids 1/1 - Terpenes 0/1 - Ingredients 1/1 - Allergens 0/1 - Nutritional Content 0/1 Complaints, Adverse Event Reporting and Recall Protocol 0/5 Dispensary Operations 36/50 Staff Training 20/20 Standard Operating Procedures 6/7 - Facility Sanitation 1/1 - Workplace Safety 0/1 - Storage 1/1 - Batch and Lot Tracking 1/1 - Security 1/1 - Waste Disposal 1/1 - Records Management 1/1 Product Testing 10/10 - Product Meets Requirements Before Sale 5/5 - COA Disclosure 5/5 Complaints, Adverse Event Reporting and Recall Protocol 0/13 Laboratory Operations 42/50 Independent or Third-Party 5/5 Laboratory Sampling 0/5 Method Validation 4/4 Quality Management Systems 4/5 Staff Training 20/20 Standard Operating Procedures 5/7 - Facility and Equipment Sanitation 0/1 - Equipment and Instrument Calibration 1/1 - Workplace Safety 0/1 - Sample Tracking 1/1 - Security 1/1 - Waste Disposal 1/1 - Records Management 1/1 Result Reporting 4/4
Score Penalties	30/100
Gives Regulatory Preference to Adult Use 20/20 Classifies Cannabis as a Medicine of Last Resort 0/15 Administrative or Supply Problems 10/15 Requires Vertical Integration 0/10 Creates New Criminal Penalties for Patients 0/10 Limits Patients to a Single Retailer 0/10 No System for Adding Qualifying Conditions 0/10 Imposes Bans or Limits on THC 0/5 Imposes Bans or Limits on CBD 0/5
Excerpted from ASA's 2022 State of the States Report.