In this article we will go into detail about the Medical Marijuana laws in AZ and show you if and how you can qualify.

The Arizona Medical Marijuana Program

The Arizona Medical Marijuana Program is available to AZ residents with certain medical conditions. Medical cannabis products are distributed by State approved dispensaries only. If you believe your medical condition qualifies, please discuss it with your doctor.

What conditions qualify for the Medical Marijuana Program in Arizona?

Patients in AZ diagnosed with one or more of the following medical conditions are allowed legal protection under the Arizona Medical Marijuana Act:

• Cancer
• Glaucoma
• HIV / AIDS
• Hepatitis C
• Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)
• Crohn’s Disease
• Agitation of Alzheimer’s disease
• Cachexia or wasting syndrome
• Severe and chronic pain
• Severe nausea
• Seizures, including epilepsy
• Severe or persistent muscle spams, including multiple sclerosis
• PTSD

Patients must have their medical records for at least the previous 12 months and provide them to the medical cannabis doctor. The medical records must include the diagnosis of the qualifying medical condition.

Will additional conditions be added to the list of qualifying conditions?

The ADHS accepts petitions to add new medical conditions to the list of qualified medical conditions for the Medical Marijuana Program in January and July of each year. ADHS also holds public hearings to gather public comments about the proposed additions to the list of qualifying medical conditions.

Where to find a Medical Marijuana Doctor in Arizona?

AZ law requires that the physician is licensed in AZ. There are licensed Medical Marijuana doctors throughout the whole state of AZ, so you’ll likely find a doctor close to where you are located.

Where are the illegal cannabis dispensaries in Arizona located

Legal cannabis dispensaries are located all over Arizona. There are currently approximately 100 operating state-licensed dispensaries across the state. You can search for a dispensary close to where you reside.

What can I get with my medical card at an Arizona dispensary?

A qualifying patient may purchase and possess up to 2.5 ounces of usable marijuana every two weeks. If the patient is authorized to grow marijuana they can possess up to 12 plants. An authorized caregiver may possess up to 2.5 ounces of usable marijuana for each of their qualified patients, and up to 12 plants for each patient. The maximum number of patients an authorized caregiver can have is five.

Where can you smoke?

Medical marijuana cannot be smoked in any public facilities, including schools, parks, buses, etc. However, medical marijuana can be consumed in edible form in these public areas. Adult care facilities in Arizona can control their rules for the use of medical marijuana at their facilities.

Are patients and caregivers shielded from discrimination?

Yes. Designated caregivers must register with the ADHS and been issued a registry identification card. This will allow them to grow and dispense medical cannabis for up to five medical marijuana patients.

What is the future of the Medical Marijuana Program in Arizona?

Arizona medical marijuana laws are continuously being updated and revised. The ADHS also has a live chat available for you to ask questions about medical cannabis laws in Arizona.

The post How to Qualify for Medical Marijuana in Arizona appeared first on Pot My.

The Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol submitted 258,582 petition signatures to the Secretary of State in late June.

According to the campaign website, only 150,642 signatures were required.

The campaign states Proposition 205 would:

• Allow adults 21 years of age and older to possess up to one ounce of marijuana and consume marijuana in private.
• Establish a regulation system similar to alcohol.
• Enact a 15% tax on marijuana sales, in addition to standard state and local sales taxes.
• Use tax revenue to fund regulation enforcement.

Proposition 205 would allocate the majority of tax revenues to schools. If passed, 40% of excess tax revenue would go toward The Department of Education for school construction, maintenance and operating costs.

It would allocate another 40% of excess revenue to The Department of Education for full-day kindergarten programs.

The remaining 20% would go toward The Department of Health Services for public education for alcohol, marijuana and substance education.

The owner of the local dispensary Purplemed Healing Center, Jean-Paul Genet, said he supports the initiative.

“I expect to see a huge leap in the standard of education in Arizona,” said Genet.

Genet said it’s going to positively impact the economy.

“It is going to provide more employment and there’s going to be more taxes collected as a result,” he said. “There will be more opportunities for business development.”

Resident, Arturo Valenzuela, said he does not think legalizing marijuana for recreational use is a good idea.

“Especially, for the people that are driving,” said Valenzuela. “I mean we already have a problem with alcohol and now legalizing this, it’s going to be even worse.”

Genet said it does pose some dilemma, but argued marijuana is nothing like alcohol.

According to the campaign website, driving while impaired by marijuana would remain illegal. Public marijuana use would also remain illegal.

The initiative would not change existing penalties for the possession of more than one ounce of marijuana.

Register to vote in the November 2016 Election

The post AZ Prop. 205 aims to legalize recreational marijuana appeared first on Pot My.

The initiative would ask Arizona voters to legalize marijuana for recreational use and establish a network of licensed cannabis shops where sales of the drug would be taxed.

The “Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol” is only a few thousand signatures away of gathering the 150,642 signatures it needs to qualify for the ballot, according to spokesman Barrett Marson on Wednesday. He also said that some signatures are likely invalid as it could be collected from people who cannot vote and the group aims to collect about 225,000 signatures.

Marson added: “Arizonans are clearly excited about this initiative.”

Many other individuals and groups are not so pleased about the initiative, including a group that has been educating the public about the negative effects of pot on children and society. The Arizonans for Responsible Drug Policy has pointed to news articles and statistics and a new U.S. Department of Health and Human Services survey that shows Colorado as a leading state of the nation regarding past-month cannabis use following its successful legalization in 2012.

Under the proposed Regulation and Taxation of Marijuana Act, adults of 21 years and older could possess up to 1 ounce of pot and grow up to six plants in their homes without obtaining licenses, as long as the plants are in a secure area.

It would also create a legal distribution system that is similar to Colorado’s, where licenses businesses produce and sell marijuana.

The initiative would create a Department of marijuana Licenses and Control to regulate the “cultivation, manufacturing, testing, transportation, and sale of marijuana”. Local governments would be given the authority to regulate and ban cannabis stores. It would also establish a 15% tax on retail sales,with proceeds being used to fund education, including full-day kindergarten and public health.

Under the 2016 Arizona initiative language, driving while impaired would still be illegal, as would consuming marijuana in public and selling or giving the drug to anyone under the age of 21.

Taxation of the program would pay the state’s cost of implementing and enforcing the initiative. 40% of taxes on marijuana would be directed to the Department of Education for construction, maintenance and operation costs, including the salaries of K-12 teachers. Another 40% would be set aside for full-day kindergarten programs and the final 20% would go to the state Department of Health Services for unspecified uses.

Revenue from these taxes could not flow into the state’s general fun, allowing it to be utilized for other purposes.

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