Arizona

Arizona

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. Patients surveyed about the state of medical cannabis in Arizona overwhelmingly report that recreational sales have negatively impacted patients between longer wait times, price hikes, and severe product shortages.

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.

Patient Rights and Civil Protections	86/100
Arrest Protection 25/25 Affirmative Defense 20/20 Parental Rights Protections 16/20 Employment Protections 10/20 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 Licenced 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	79/200
Total 11/50 Quality Management Systems 0/10 Staff Training 0/10 Standard Operating Procedures 4/8 - Facility and Equipment Sanitation 1/1 - Workplace Safety 1/1 - Storage 1/1 - Batch and Lot Tracking 0/1 - Security 0/1 - Waste Disposal 1/1 - Water Management 0/1 - Records Management 0/1 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 Total 12/50 Quality Management Systems 0/10 Staff Training 0/10 Standard Operating Procedures 4/7 - Facility and Equipment Sanitation 1/1 - Workplace Safety 1/1 - Storage 1/1 - Batch and Lot Tracking 0/1 - Security 0/1 - Waste Disposal 1/1 - Records Management 0/1 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 Total 17/50 Staff Training 0/20 Standard Operating Procedures 7/7 - Facility Sanitation 1/1 - Workplace Safety 1/1 - 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 Total 39/50 Independent or Third-Party 5/5 Laboratory Sampling 0/5 Method Validation 4/4 Quality Management Systems 5/5 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 0/4
Score Penalties	20/100
Gives Regulatory Preference to Adult Use 10/20 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 2021 State of the States Report.