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Cannabis in Arizona is legal for recreational use. A 2020 initiative to legalize recreational use (Proposition 207, the Smart and Safe Act) passed with 60% of the vote. Possession and cultivation of recreational cannabis became legal on November 30, 2020, with the first state-licensed sales occurring on January 22, 2021.
Medical use was legalized in 2010 through the passage of Proposition 203 (approved with 50.1% of the vote), with the first licensed sales occurring in December 2012.
In 1996, 65% of Arizona voters approved Proposition 200 (the "Drug Medicalization, Prevention and Control Act"), a drug policy reform initiative that contained a provision allowing physicians to prescribe cannabis. [1] The medical use provision was then essentially repealed by state legislators a few months later, [2] but the change was rejected by voters in a 1998 veto referendum (Proposition 300). [3] Ultimately the medical use provision was ineffective, however, due to language that created significant conflict with federal law (use of the word "prescribe" instead of "recommend"). [4]
Former U.S. Senator and Republican presidential nominee Barry Goldwater was among the supporters of the initiative, [5] serving as honorary chairman of the Proposition 200 campaign. [6] The main sponsor in support of the initiative was University of Phoenix founder John Sperling. [5]
In November 2002, Proposition 203, a medical cannabis initiative that also sought to decriminalize recreational use, failed with 42.7% of the vote. [7] Included in the initiative were requirements to: (a) allow patients to possess up to two ounces (57 g) of cannabis and grow 2 plants; (b) establish a state-run system for the distribution of medical cannabis to patients; (c) decriminalize up to 2 ounces (57 g) of cannabis for any use (punishable by a $250 fine); and (d) enact new sentencing reforms for non-violent drug offenses (expanding upon the 1996 reforms). [8] [9] [10] Proposition 203 was opposed by the state's law enforcement community, both major party gubernatorial candidates (Democrat Janet Napolitano and Republican Matt Salmon), and drug czar John P. Walters who traveled to the state to campaign against the initiative. [9]
In November 2010, Proposition 203, an initiative seeking to legalize the medical use of cannabis, was approved with 50.1% of the vote. [11] The initiative allowed patients with a doctor's recommendation to possess up to 2+1⁄2 ounces (71 g) of cannabis for treatment of certain qualifying conditions. [12] [13] It limited the number of dispensaries to 124 and specified that only patients who reside more than 25 miles (40 km) from a dispensary could cultivate their own cannabis. [12] [14] Proposition 203 was approved despite opposition from Governor Jan Brewer, Attorney General Terry Goddard, all of the state's sheriffs and county prosecutors, and many other state politicians. [14] [15]
In May 2011, Brewer and Attorney General Tom Horne filed a lawsuit in federal court questioning some of the initiative's provisions. [16] The lawsuit sought a ruling on whether state employees involved in implementing certain provisions were subject to federal prosecution. [17] [18] Citing this uncertainty, the state also announced that it would suspend the issuance of licenses for medical cannabis dispensaries. [19] The lawsuit was dismissed in January 2012; a federal judge found that the issue was not ripe as there was no indication that the federal government would prosecute Arizona officials for implementing the act. [20] Brewer subsequently lifted the moratorium, allowing state officials to begin implementing the initiative. [21] [22] The first licensed dispensary opened to the public on December 6, 2012. [23] [24]
In May 2012, Brewer signed legislation that made illegal the possession of medical cannabis on college campuses. [25] The Arizona Supreme Court ruled in May 2018 that the law was unconstitutional, however. [26] [27]
In November 2016, Proposition 205, an initiative to legalize the recreational use of cannabis, failed with 48.7% of the vote. [28] The initiative would have allowed adults to possess up to one ounce (28 g) of cannabis and cultivate up to six plants for personal use. [29] It also would have established a system for commercial distribution and taxation of cannabis, with excess tax revenues (after paying expenses) dedicated to funding public schools and substance abuse programs. [29]
The campaign to defeat Proposition 205 raised more than $6 million, [30] aided significantly by the fundraising efforts of Gov. Doug Ducey. [31] Among the largest contributors to the opposition were Discount Tire ($1,000,000), Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry ($918,000), Sheldon Adelson ($500,000), and Insys Therapeutics ($500,000). [32] The top contributors in support of the initiative were Marijuana Policy Project ($1,715,000), Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps ($550,000), and Drug Policy Alliance ($350,000). [28]
Recreational use of cannabis was legalized through the passage of Proposition 207 on November 3, 2020. [33] [34] Organizing for the initiative began in August 2019 by the Arizona Dispensaries Association and Arizona Cannabis Chamber of Commerce. [35] [36] [37] The Arizona Dispensaries Association filed a ballot initiative application on September 26, 2019, for the "Smart and Safe Act", [38] seeking to obtain the necessary 237,645 signatures from registered Arizona voters by the July 2, 2020 deadline. [39] [40] The Smart and Safe Arizona campaign ultimately submitted more than 420,000 signatures to the Secretary of State's Office. [40] [41] On August 11, 2020, the Secretary of State announced that the initiative had qualified for the November ballot as Proposition 207. [42]
The Smart and Safe Act legalized adult recreational use of marijuana by allowing Arizona adults to possess up to 1 ounce (28 g) of marijuana (with no more than 5 grams being marijuana concentrate), and by allowing each adult to have up to 6 marijuana plants at their home (with up to 12 marijuana plants in households with two or more adult members). [40] It directed the state Department of Health Services to set rules for retail marijuana sales by June 1, 2021, makes marijuana subject to state and local sales taxes like other retail items, and imposes an additional 16% excise tax on marijuana products. The revenue is used to implement and enforce regulations related to the act; the remaining revenue is split between community colleges (33%), police and fire departments (31.4%), the state highway fund (25.4%), a justice reinvestment fund (10%), and the state attorney general for enforcement (0.2%). [43] The initiative allows employers to adopt "drug-free workplace" policies and restrict employees' and applicants' use of marijuana, and does not permit the use of marijuana in any public spaces. [40] The initiative established that the possession by an adult of more than an ounce, but less than 2.5 ounces, of marijuana, is a petty offense. [40] It also prohibits the sale of marijuana products that resemble a "human, animal, insect, fruit, toy or cartoon" and sets forth penalties for possession of marijuana by minors (which, for a first offense for possession of under an ounce of marijuana, is a $100 fine and drug counseling). [40]
The Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry opposed the ballot initiative, contending that it would lead to "an uptick in workplace accidents and lower overall workplace productivity". [40] Opponents of the measure sought to exclude Proposition 207 from the ballot, asserting that the 100-word ballot statement was defective. [44] That claim was rejected unanimously by the Arizona Supreme Court. [44]
The Smart and Safe Act passed with 60% of the vote on November 3, 2020. [33] Possession and cultivation of cannabis became legal on November 30, 2020, when the results of the election were certified. [45] State-licensed sales of recreational cannabis began on January 22, 2021, making Arizona the quickest state in U.S. history to begin retail sales after recreational legalization. [46] [47]
In Arizona, United States Air Force Veteran Robert Deals, represented by the Last Prisoner Project, remains incarcerated for an 18-year cannabis sentence while recreational use is legal in the state. [48]
Arizona Supreme Court Justice and former Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery has been a leading opponent of cannabis reform efforts in the state of Arizona. [49] He has made a number of controversial comments on the subject, including telling a military veteran who spoke in support of legalization: "I have no respect for you ... because you're an enemy." [50] Montgomery engaged in a multi-year legal battle seeking to overturn the state's medical cannabis law that was approved by voters in 2010. [51]
The Marijuana Policy Project (MPP) is the largest organization working solely on marijuana policy reform in the United States in terms of its budget, number of members, and staff.
The Oregon Medical Marijuana Act, a law in the U.S. state of Oregon, was established by Oregon Ballot Measure 67 in 1998, passing with 54.6% support. It modified state law to allow the cultivation, possession, and use of marijuana by doctor recommendation for patients with certain medical conditions. The Act does not affect federal law, which still prohibits the cultivation and possession of marijuana.
In the United States, increased restrictions and labeling of cannabis as a poison began in many states from 1906 onward, and outright prohibitions began in the 1920s. By the mid-1930s cannabis was regulated as a drug in every state, including 35 states that adopted the Uniform State Narcotic Drug Act. The first national regulation was the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937.
Cannabis in Oregon is legal for both medical and recreational use. In recent decades, the U.S. state of Oregon has had a number of legislative, legal and cultural events surrounding the use of cannabis. Oregon was the first state to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of cannabis and authorize its use for medical purposes. An attempt to recriminalize the possession of small amounts of cannabis was turned down by Oregon voters in 1997.
Cannabis in California has been legal for medical use since 1996, and for recreational use since late 2016. The state of California has been at the forefront of efforts to liberalize cannabis laws in the United States, beginning in 1972 with the nation's first ballot initiative attempting to legalize cannabis. Although it was unsuccessful, California would later become the first state to legalize medical cannabis through the Compassionate Use Act of 1996, which passed with 56% voter approval. In November 2016, California voters approved the Adult Use of Marijuana Act with 57% of the vote, which legalized the recreational use of cannabis.
In the United States, cannabis is legal in 38 of 50 states for medical use and 24 states for recreational use. At the federal level, cannabis is classified as a Schedule I drug under the Controlled Substances Act, determined to have a high potential for abuse and no accepted medical use, prohibiting its use for any purpose. Despite this prohibition, federal law is generally not enforced against the possession, cultivation, or intrastate distribution of cannabis in states where such activity has been legalized. Beginning in 2024, the Drug Enforcement Administration has initiated a review to potentially move cannabis to the less-restrictive Schedule III.
The legal history of cannabis in the United States began with state-level prohibition in the early 20th century, with the first major federal limitations occurring in 1937. Starting with Oregon in 1973, individual states began to liberalize cannabis laws through decriminalization. In 1996, California became the first state to legalize medical cannabis, sparking a trend that spread to a majority of states by 2016. In 2012, Washington and Colorado became the first states to legalize cannabis for recreational use.
Cannabis in Massachusetts is legal for medical and recreational use. It also relates to the legal and cultural events surrounding the use of cannabis. A century after becoming the first U.S. state to criminalize recreational cannabis, Massachusetts voters elected to legalize it in 2016.
Cannabis in Maine is legal for recreational use. It was originally prohibited in 1913. Possession of small amounts of the drug was decriminalized in 1976 under state legislation passed the previous year. The state's first medical cannabis law was passed in 1999, allowing patients to grow their own plants. The cities of Portland and South Portland decriminalized the possession and recreational use of marijuana in 2013 and 2014, respectively.
Cannabis in Arkansas is illegal for recreational use. First-time possession of up to four ounces (110 g) is punished with a fine of up to $2,500, imprisonment of up to a year, and a mandatory six month driver's license suspension. Medical use was legalized in 2016 by way of a ballot measure to amend the state constitution.
Cannabis in North Dakota is legal for medical use but illegal for recreational use. Since 2019 however, possession under a 1/2 ounce has been decriminalized in the sense that there is no threat of jail time, though a criminal infraction fine up to $1,000 still applies. The cultivation of hemp is currently legal in North Dakota. In November 2018, the state's voters voted on recreational marijuana legalization, along with Michigan; the measure was rejected 59% to 41%. Two groups attempted to put marijuana legalization measures on the June 2020 Primary and the November 2020 elections, but were prevented from doing so by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Adult Use of Marijuana Act (AUMA) was a 2016 voter initiative to legalize cannabis in California. The full name is the Control, Regulate and Tax Adult Use of Marijuana Act. The initiative passed with 57% voter approval and became law on November 9, 2016, leading to recreational cannabis sales in California by January 2018.
Cannabis in Nevada became legal for recreational use on January 1, 2017, following the passage of Question 2 on the 2016 ballot with 54% of the vote. The first licensed sales of recreational cannabis began on July 1, 2017.
Cannabis in Missouri is legal for recreational use. A ballot initiative to legalize recreational use, Amendment 3, passed by a 53–47 margin on November 8, 2022. Possession for adults 21 and over became legal on December 8, 2022, with the first licensed sales occurring on February 3, 2023.
Cannabis in Maryland is legal for medical use and recreational use. Possession of up to 1.5 ounces and cultivation of up to 2 plants is legal for adults 21 years of age and older. In 2013, a state law was enacted to establish a state-regulated medical cannabis program. The program, known as the Natalie M. LaPrade Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission (MMCC) became operational on December 1, 2017.
Cannabis in Florida is illegal for recreational use. Possession of up to 20 grams is a misdemeanor offense, punishable by up to a year in jail, a fine of up to $1000, and the suspension of one's driver's license. Several cities and counties have enacted reforms to apply lesser penalties, however.
Cannabis in Ohio is legal for recreational use. Issue 2, a ballot measure to legalize recreational use, passed by a 57–43 margin on November 7, 2023. Possession and personal cultivation of cannabis became legal on December 7, 2023. The first licensed sales started on August 6, 2024. Prior to legalization, Ohio decriminalized possession of up 100 grams in 1975, with several of the state's major cities later enacting further reforms.
Cannabis in Washington relates to a number of legislative, legal, and cultural events surrounding the use of cannabis. On December 6, 2012, Washington became the first U.S. state to legalize recreational use of marijuana and the first to allow recreational marijuana sales, alongside Colorado. The state had previously legalized medical marijuana in 1998. Under state law, cannabis is legal for medical purposes and for any purpose by adults over 21.
Cannabis in Michigan is legal for recreational use. A 2018 initiative to legalize recreational use passed with 56% of the vote. State-licensed sales of recreational cannabis began in December 2019.
Arizona Proposition 207 was a voter initiative that appeared on the November 3, 2020, Arizona general election ballot to legalize cannabis for recreational use. Passing with 60% of the vote, the initiative legalized the possession of up to an ounce of cannabis, licensed sales at dispensaries, and personal cultivation of up to six plants. Along with Montana, New Jersey and South Dakota, Arizona is one of four states that legalized recreational marijuana via ballot measures in 2020.