Is Medical Marijuana Legal in Arizona Yet? The Facts You Should Know

In the United States, support for legalizing cannabis is at an all-time high at 68%. While many states have at least decriminalized marijuana or begun to offer medical marijuana, some states still don’t, despite public support.

In Arizona, medical and recreational marijuana use is legal as long as it falls under specific parameters. Keep reading to learn more about Arizona medical marijuana.

Is It Legal?

Yes! Adults over the age of 21 and patients of any age with set qualifying conditions (see below) can buy and use cannabis and cannabis-derived products.

Medical marijuana was first legalized back in 1996 for the comfort and benefit of terminally ill patients. This was overturned but was finally passed successfully in 2010. In 2020, the Smart and Safe Act was passed, allowing adults 21 and over to use cannabis for recreational purposes.

Qualifying Conditions

While recreational marijuana is only available to adults aged 21 years and older, medical marijuana is available to patients of any age. If you have one of the following conditions, you may be eligible for a medical marijuana registration card:

• Alzheimer’s disease
• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease)
• Cancer
• Crohn’s Disease
• Glaucoma
• Hepatitis C
• HIV/AIDS
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• A chronic or debilitating disease or medical condition

Purchase and Possession

Cannabis flower, topicals, edibles, oils, and more can be purchased by adults 21 and older and qualifying patients of any age at a nonprofit, state-sponsored medical marijuana dispensary.

Patients and their caregivers can purchase and possess 2.5 ounces in 14 days. Recreational users can have no more than one ounce and give away no more than one ounce to another adult older than 21 years. Recreational users pay a 16% sales tax, while patients pay a 6.6% sales tax.

Patients who cannot go to a pharmacy or dispensary can use a medical marijuana delivery service to deliver their medicine to their house or the house of their designated caregiver.

Home Cultivation

If you do not want to purchase marijuana at a dispensary, you can grow up to six plants of your own at home.

Qualifying patients may grow up to 12 plants. If you are using marijuana medicinally and a registered patient with a qualifying disorder, a landlord cannot deny you as a tenant because of your patient status.

Consuming Marijuana in Arizona

Consuming marijuana in public is not allowed. You may consume marijuana in private places as long as the smoking of tobacco is not prohibited in that place. If you are a patient with a qualifying condition, you may consume edibles in public as a part of your treatment.

Please do not consume any form of cannabis while inside a vehicle. It is illegal to do so, and driving under the influence is strictly prohibited. If you need more information about cannabis legality in Arizona, read this page to learn more.

Out-of-State Reciprocity for Medical Marijuana

Suppose you are a patient from another state who will be visiting Arizona. In that case, you must have a qualifying condition covered in Arizona, and you must have your state’s version of a medical marijuana card.

Be sure to do all necessary research before transporting cannabis products over state lines to avoid legal troubles.

Look After Your Health

As with any medication, be sure to research medical marijuana thoroughly before you use it. Speak to a medical professional to ensure you’re doing what’s best for your individual health situation.

Are you interested in reading about cannabis products? Check out our Healthy Living page to learn more.