New Arizona Bill Reduces Home Cultivation Limit, Extends Card Expiration, and More

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A bill recently introduced in Arizona’s Legislature by Rep. Randall Friese aims to amend the voter-approved Arizona Medical Marijuana Act.

HB 2537 would change the AMMA by implementing third party testing of marijuana, fingerprinting for caregivers and dispensary agents, lowering the home cultivation plant limit for patients and caregivers, extending medical marijuana card expiration dates, reducing the cultivation limit, and more.

The major changes HB 2537 would make are:

Home cultivation would decrease from 12 to 6 plants.

Arizona medical marijuana cards would expire after two years of issuance instead of one.

Caregivers and dispensary employees would have to get a valid fingerprint clearance card.

The definition of marijuana would become: “Marijuana that is cultivated, processed, dispensed, tested or possessed for a medical use, including medical marijuana extract and medical marijuana.”

The definition of marijuana extract would become: “Medical marijuana extract means a substance that is obtained by separating cannabinoids of the marijuana plant by physical or chemical means to create a medical marijuana product with a cannabinoid concentration greater than the raw plant material from which it is derived.”

The definition of medical marijuana product would become: “Medical marijuana product means a product that both contains cannabinoids that have been extracted from plant material or the resin from plant material by physical or chemical means that is intended for administration to a registered qualifying patient for a medical use. Includes oils, distillate, tinctures, edibles, patches, topicals, shatter, wax, kief, pills, capsules and suppositories.”

Mandatory testing of marijuana would be implemented forcing independent third-party laboratories to confirm that marijuana for medical use meets certain standards.

Mandatory inspection of dispensaries would begin in June 2020 to determine the quality of the marijuana being stored and dispensed.

Marijuana would be sold in “childproof containers and indicate the registered qualifying patient’s name and registry identification card number and the potency of the marijuana on the label.”

Would allow out-of-state medical marijuana patients to purchase marijuana from Arizona dispensaries.

Photo: Gage Skidmore/Flickr CC4.0 Modified.

How to Support This Bill

Arizonans can support this bill online by using the Request to Speak (RTS) system. It entails making a one-time visit to 1700 W Washington St in Phoenix or 400 W Congress St., Suite 201 in Tucson and registering for RTS using the kiosks there. Once that step is completed, you can then individually support bills online. Learn more about RTS at www.azleg.gov/alisPDFs/RTS_Manual_public.pdf.

Petition to Reduce MMJ Card Fee in Arizona

– Sign the petition here