How to Get a Cannabis Business License in Arizona | Arizona Cultivation License and Marijuana Laws

On Nov 21, 2020

Arizona voted to legalize marijuana when it passed Prop 207 by 60 to 40% of the vote in 2020. Arizona takes effect once the election results are made official Nov. 30. The Department of Health Services must adopt rules to set the number of licenses coming – but not more than one for every 10 pharmacies operating within the state.

The Arizona Department of Health Services (“ADHS”) will grant approximately 150 marijuana establishment licenses. Of these licenses, 26 will be specifically allocated to applicants who qualify under the Social Equity Ownership Program.
Define Early Applicant = Entity seeking to operate a marijuana establishment in a county with less than two registered nonprofit medical marijuana dispensaries, or a non-profit medical marijuana dispensary registered and in good standing with the department that wishes to obtain an establishment license.

Define Social Equity = increasing the license numbers up to 10 % in furtherance of social equity programs created by Department of Health Services. They are going to study it. Section 36-2854 provides for some nebulous concepts.

Marijuana Establishment = single retail location to sell marijauna products to customers & a signal off-site cultivation location & a single off-site location to manufacture marijuana products. (Mandatory vertical license).

Define license numbers and timeslot = Only two Marijuana Establishment License per county will be issued, as long as it does not contain a non profit medical marijuana dispensary, if it contains one registered non profit medical marijuana dispensary, it will only issue one. The early applications will be accepted from January 19th, 2021 to March 9th, 2021, after issuing the license to the early applicants the department will issue establishment licenses by random selection

Types of licenses available:
The Marijuana establishment license: authorizes to have a single retail location to sell, a single off site location to cultivate, process and produce and a single off site location to manufacture and package marijuana, the last two are not authorized to sell Marijuana in any manufacturing or cultivating location.
The Marijuana testing facilities license: authorizes the analysis and monitoring of the potency of the product and testing for any harmful contaminant in the marijuana.
Delivery after 2023? – ADHS may adopt rules that allow for it.

Home grow?
YES, 6 plants, Max 12 for homes with 2 or more adults

Social Equity?
Bare Minimum Criteria Towards Restorative Justice:
Expungement? YES
Social Equity Provisions? YES
Portion of Taxes Allocated to Impacted Communities? YES

26 licenses will be issued to entities under the Social Equity Ownership Program
10% of taxes will be allocated to the Justice Reinvestment Fund (JRF)

Possession Rules
1 ounce flower or 5 grams concentrate
______________________________________________
Headlines to Google:
Recreational Weed Now Legal in Arizona, but Shops Can’t Stock It Immediately (Courthouse News)
Arizona county dismisses marijuana charges after state vote to legalize it (CNN)
A Third Arizona Town Passes Law to Restrict Recreational Marijuana (ArZ Marijuana)
______________________________________________
#ArizonaCannabis #CannabisBusiness #CannabisIndustry

source