Is Weed Legal in Arizona?

It is good to start off by stating the fact that both recreational marijuana and medical marijuana are legal in the state of Arizona. Any Arizona citizen who is over the age of 21 can legally purchase marijuana in the state. Patients that have certain qualifying conditions can also purchase medical marijuana, regardless of their age.

However, there are legal limits to how much marijuana you can have at one time. An adult can have a maximum of 28 grams or one ounce of marijuana at a time. The ability to grow marijuana plants is a part of the question is weed legal in Arizona. You can legally grow up to a total of six marijuana plants in the state of Arizona.

How Did Marijuana Legalization Progress In the State of Arizona?

Arizona has a long history of marijuana legalization, dating back to the initial legalization of medical marijuana in 1996. The 1996 initiative permitted terminally ill or seriously ill patients to have medical marijuana if they received a prescription from a doctor. This initiative was overturned because of the fact that federal law forbids marijuana prescriptions. In other words, the word 'prescribe' was the main problem with this first medical marijuana initiative.

The state of Arizona attempted to make medical marijuana legal in 2002 via Proposition 203, but it failed since it only got 42.7% of the vote. Arizona voters passed the Arizona Medical Marijuana Question in 2010 with 50.3% of the vote, quite a slim margin. The Arizona Medical Marijuana Question was essentially Proposition 203 with significant revisions. The very first sales of medical marijuana in Arizona did not happen until December of 2012.

According to Proposition 203, the Arizona Department of Health Services is responsible for developing the regulations and rules for the state's medical marijuana program in addition to implementing these rules and regulations. Proposition 203 established specific parameters for qualifying patients that ADHS uses. It also established specific parameters for ADHS to use to ensure that caregivers get access to medical marijuana that they need. Proposition 203 also established operating regulations for licensed marijuana dispensaries in the state of Arizona.

Arizona voters passed Proposition 207 in November 2020, which legalized recreational marijuana for adults who are 21 and older. This proposition was also known as the Smart and Safe Act. The Smart and Safe Act imposed an excise tax of 16% on marijuana, too.

Purchasing Weed Legally in Arizona

If you're a caregiver or a patient listed in the ADHS registry or an adult 21 or older, you can purchase marijuana at a non-profit dispensary licensed in the state of Arizona. Adults 21 or older can purchase a maximum of 28 grams or one ounce of marijuana and only 5 grams can be in concentrates purchased from a marijuana establishment. Recreational marijuana consumers have to pay a 16% sales tax on marijuana purchases. You cannot get marijuana delivered if you are a recreational consumer.

Patients can purchase up to 70 grams or 2.5 ounces in a 14-day period. Dispensaries track this via a state system. Medical marijuana patients have to pay a 6.6% state tax on marijuana purchases. They may also have to pay a 2% or 3% tax levied by the city.