Arizona is one step closer to launching legal sales of marijuana, with state regulators releasing new draft procedures as well as application forms for cannabis business licenses to be accepted as of next week. In December, the State Department of Health Services issued an earlier description of the project market rules, which recently released its second iteration, with finalized regulations expected in the coming weeks. Industry stakeholders have been encouraged by the expediency of the Department’s decision-making process, which is required since the voters overwhelmingly approved a voting initiative to legalize adult marijuana during the November elections. Applications for existing medical cannabis operators wishing to enter the recreation market will be opened on January 19 and closed on March 9. This is a significant development, as it indicates that, once the rules have been finalized, approved applicants could start selling marijuana to all adults over 21 years of age as early as next month.
Kyle Jaeger, Marijuana Moment, 01/11/2021 15:33:00