AZ Cannabis 2020
The Smart and Safe Arizona Act, a highly-supported ballot initiative to legalize adult-use (recreational) marijuana in Arizona has been approved by the Secretary of State to be listed on the general election ballot in November 2020. It will be listed on the ballots as Proposition 207 (Prop 207).
In November, Arizona voters will be able to vote on Prop 207. If it passes, Arizona lawmakers would have to establish regulations for the Arizona recreational marijuana industry by April 5, 2021.
Here are 18 facts about Prop 207:
1. Adults 21 and older would be able to possess 1 ounce of marijuana with no more than 5 grams of it being marijuana concentrates (extracts).
2. Limits home cultivation to 6 plants at an individual’s primary residence and 12 plants at a residence where two or more individuals who are at least 21 years old reside at one time.
3. The Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) would have to establish recreational marijuana regulations on or before April 5, 2021.
4. A 16% excise tax (the same as cigarettes and alcohol) would be placed on recreational marijuana products. Money from the excise tax would fund various state agencies and be dispersed between community college districts, police and fire departments, and the Highway User fund.
5. Marijuana use would remain illegal in public places (restaurants, parks, sidewalks, etc). Offenders are guilty of a petty offence.
6. No marijuana products could be sold that imitate brands marketed to children or look like humans, animals, insects, fruits, toys or cartoons.
7. Marijuana edibles will be limited to a maximum of 10mg of THC per edible, and limited to a maximum of 100mg of THC per package of edibles.
8. Employers have the right to maintain a drug- and alcohol-free workplace.
9. Driving, flying or boating impaired to even the slightest degree by marijuana would remain illegal (i.e., zero tolerance rule).
10. Marijuana testing facilities will test marijuana for harmful contaminants (i.e., pesticides, molds, etc).
11. “Qualified early applicants” (qualifications are currently undetermined) can apply for a recreational dispensary license (approx. 145 licenses will be available) with the ADHS. Any remaining or additional licenses will be provided by random selection.
12. The ADHS may issue a marijuana establishment license (recreational marijuana dispensary license) to no more than two recreational dispensaries per county that contains no medical marijuana dispensaries, or one recreational dispensary license per county that contains one medical marijuana dispensary (the ADHS will accept applications from Jan 19, 2021 – Mar 9, 2021).
13. On or before April 5, 2021, medical marijuana dispensaries will be able to sell recreational marijuana to adults until the ADHS issues licenses for recreational dispensaries.
14. Medical marijuana dispensaries that obtain a recreational marijuana dispensary license(s) could operate both entities in the same/shared location.
15. Possessing more than one ounce but less than 2.5 ounces would be a petty offense. Minors caught with less than one ounce would receive up to a $100 fine and four hours of drug counseling for a first offense. A second offense would be up to a $100 fine and eight hours of drug counseling. A third offense would be a Class 1 misdemeanor.
16. Smoking in a public place would be a petty offense.
17. On or after Jan 1, 2023, the ADHS can adopt rules to permit recreational marijuana deliveries.
18. Beginning on July 12, 2021, people convicted previously of possessing less than an ounce of marijuana or six or fewer plants or paraphernalia can petition to have the record expunged.
View the initiative: Smart & Safe Arizona Act
View the website: Smart & Safe Arizona Act
Arizona Marijuana Regulations
In 2016, Proposition 205, an initiative attempting to legalize recreational marijuana in Arizona failed 48.23% to 51.77%. If Prop 205 would have passed, adults in Arizona could have been legally enjoying recreational cannabis for the past few years without the fear of felony prosecution for simply possessing or using the drug. Hopefully, all pro-marijuana Arizonans will vote for Prop 207 so that recreational marijuana possession and use become legal for adults in 2021.
The above article is a reprint from https://www.azmarijuana.com. The original article was written by Dan Kingston and published on July 1st, 2020.
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