Arizona Marijuana Dispensary Facts
In 2010, the Arizona Medical Marijuana Act was passed through a popular vote in a move that legalized the use of marijuana for medical purposes. It is however not used for recreational purposes thanks to a similar vote. Medical marijuana cards are available at $150 and can be applied for from the online portal of the state.
Federal cannabis taxes could easily hit the cumulative $8.7 billion mark in terms of revenue for the federal and state governments. This revenue is only possible if all the states legalize the use of cannabis. It goes without saying that the education, healthcare and environmental sectors will benefit greatly from these revenue.
In 2017, the Department of Health Services of the state indicated that 157,000 citizens are active cardholders. These large numbers indicate the positive response that medical marijuana has received over the years. The report also indicated that the men cardholders are slightly more than their female counterparts. This statistic makes clear the willingness of male patients to embrace new treatment options. Half of the card holders are aged between 14 to 40 years old.
Patients as well as caregivers are not allowed to have more than 2.5 ounces of marijuana in a fortnight. The limits have been put in place to regularize the use of the product and put limits on excesses. Before anyone is allowed to act as a caregiver they must be at least 21 years old. A criminal background check is also carried out to ensure that they check out for different felonies. The state would not like to have serial criminals in possession of marijuana. Aside from the obvious restrictions, most of the applications that caregivers make are approved without much hassle much to the delight of the citizens of Arizona.
The state had tried to pass these laws twice without success and the technicalities surrounding implementation of the programs took most of the blame for the failure. A host of legal setbacks have stood in the way of the medical marijuana product but the state has managed to get around the setbacks to lay the ground for the success of the product. Patients are the greatest beneficiaries of the progress that the state has made over the years.
California is one of the few states that have legalized the use of recreational marijuana. Revenue collection of the state has gone a notch higher since this legalization at the start of 2018. Such permits have had a positive impact on the cannabis industry along with drug legalization in the country. Major taxes accompany the recreational legality of marijuana and more states are looking to leverage on the new source of revenue.
The only downside to much of this progress is the outmoded views that are showing very little signs of slowing down. State governments need to up their game if they hope to take advantage of legalizing marijuana. Medical marijuana still offers competitive revenues though recreational marijuana could better revenue collection. The state of Arizona still has a long way to go to enjoy these gains. The $ 406.7 million they have made so far from sales of medical marijuana is all the same an impressive figure.
The cultivation of the marijuana plant is also limited to only 12 plants for the caregivers and the facility should be locked or be in an enclosed area. Green houses, locker rooms and closets are some of the designated areas for cultivation of the plant. Marijuana smoking is not allowed in any public areas and driving under its influence is also outlawed.
In late 2017, the Arizona Supreme Court made a ruling that would see medical marijuana sales go on in spite of the plans of local and state officials looking to stand in the way of the sales. The officials based much of their arguments on federal drug laws that insist that marijuana is a felony. The ruling further stated that county officials do not have to worry about allegations of violating federal laws. Federal authorities could, however, prosecute dispensary operators under the federal law.