Arizona is the latest state to legalize recreational marijuana use and since then, sales have soared. Distributors can now pile up their stocks on the shelves and freely sell to any customer who’s 21 years old and above. In under 60 days since the election was certified, Arizona had begun to sell legal cannabis products to their recreational customers.
This is so far the fastest launch in the sale of legal cannabis history. The department of health was quick to develop rules to help regulate the market. After releasing two drafts of the proposed rules, applications for licenses began rolling in and the department of health hastened the review process.
Nearly 79 licenses have so far been approved and the licensed facilities are already selling adult-use cannabis. Licenses for medicinal cannabis dispensaries are set to open for applications in early spring. The November voting attracted about 2 million voters and a majority voted yes for proposition 207.
Many adult users were over pleased by the state’s fast move to set and pass rules to help regulate the market. They flocked the sales outlets ready to order their favorite cannabis products. Carly Wolf, the NORMIL State Policies Controller, said it was time the state stopped losing money to an illicit marijuana market and began to collect revenue from a legal market.
The fresh rules, which took effect beginning from Jan 15, 2021, cover regulations governing licensing fee, approval time, labeling, public safety, regulatory body and many more. One notable rule was the one that now allows cannabis employees to work in any company they wish. Before the new rule, the employees were allowed to work in one station only.
Child Resistant exit packaging for leaving dispensaries
The new guidelines require cannabis product manufacturers to follow all packaging and labeling rules strictly. They are required to use bags that keep their products fresh and without contamination. CR bags are required to be used at the point of retail, which means that the CR rule is effective at the dispensary level.
After the customer buys cannabis products from a dispensary, the exit bag should be CR compliant. One mandatory CR compliant requirement for exit packaging is that they must be opaque. The child must not see the contents to avoid the temptation where the child may want to taste the product.
Jan 15 – the D-Day
Jan 15, 2021, marks an important day in the legal adult marijuana sale history in the state of Arizona. The Arizona residents braced themselves bravely in November 2020 and voted yes for the medical and recreational use of marijuana.
Determined to reward the citizens’ vote, the Arizona Department of Health Services opened the doors for recreational marijuana sale licenses application. Many dispensaries owners and manufacturers rushed and applied.
By Jan 19, 73 applicants had already received the green light to begin their sales officially. The first day of sales was historic as hundreds of customers queued outside adult-use marijuana stores to make their purchases.
Some waited for hours because the snaking queues were not coming to an end. The DHS also opened doors for medical marijuana license applications. It is expected the medical marijuana dispensaries will get their licenses in March. The 60-40 percent voting on Nov 30, 2020, was effective from Jan 15, 2021. Growers, dispensers and consumers were grateful that Prop 207 was implemented fast for the benefit of Arizonan
The 13th State to legalize Marijuana
It can never be forgotten that the passing of Proposition 207 on Nov 30, 2020, made headlines in the regional and national news. The 60 percent to 40 percent victory passed the new law commonly called the Smart and Safe Arizona Act.
The act legalizes recreational marijuana meaning anyone residing within Arizona and is 21 years old and above is legally allowed to buy and consume recreational marijuana. Any marijuana user who has attained the legal age will no longer fear intimidation, harassment by law enforcers or being taken to a court law for being found in possession of marijuana or marijuana products.
Arizona’s secretary of state signed and stamped Prop 207 on Nov 30th, making the voting results official. It meant that the Prop had been approved to become law. The residents of Arizona celebrated, but the time to buy their favorite marijuana product was not yet.
They would wait up to around March 2021 to begin their purchases, but the administration hastened the process. Individual users are now free to grow a limited number of Marijuana plants in their homes. Dispensaries will have to wait until early late March.
Details about Prop 207
You need to understand what the passing of Prop 207 means to you and all Arizona residents.
It means any Arizona resident from 21 years old and above can buy adult-use marijuana that contains one ounce of marijuana and a maximum of five grams’ concentrates, where concentrates means extracts.
It also means if you are an adult 21 years and above residing in Arizona, you are free to grow a maximum of 6 marijuana plants if you live alone in a residence. If you live with two people in the same residence, you can grow a maximum of 12 plants if both of you are 21 years old or more.
It means there will be a recreational cannabis dispensary open near you where you can walk in and buy marijuana products. The DHS will be involved in the licensing of the dispensaries.
Any time you buy your cannabis product from a dispensary, you will pay 16% tax which will help fund several state owed projects. Users for medicinal use marijuana will not be taxed.
You will not consume cannabis and cannabis products in public places. The offense is not serious like it was before the law was passed.
You will be required to carry your cannabis products in a CR exit packaging bag. The exit packaging will be done at the point of purchase.
In states where marijuana was legalized some time back, statistics show a significant reduction in the number of children consuming illegal marijuana. Recreational marijuana has also improved programs for medical marijuana.
The industry has filled a big job gap by creating thousands of new jobs. The new jobs start from the growing farms, processing factories, transportation, warehousing, dispensaries, advertising and marketing. Packaging manufacturers are also big beneficiaries of cannabis legalization. The Arizona state government will also be collecting millions of dollars in taxes, licensing and fines.
