AZ Marijuana Establishment Licenses – 2021
Total Licenses available for “Early Applicants” – (Approximately 143)
ADHS is required to accept applications for marijuana establishment licenses from early applicants from January 19, 2021, to March 9, 2021. Within 60 days after this period, ADHS needed to begin issuing licenses to qualified early applicants. Proposition 207 defined early applicants as nonprofit medical marijuana dispensaries and entities in counties with fewer than two medical marijuana dispensaries. ADHS was allowed to charge fees for licenses, and the fee amount would be limited to actual costs of processing applications and no more than five times(no more than $25,000) the fee for medical marijuana licenses($5,000). Fees were to be deposited into the Smart and Safe Arizona Fund.
“Proposition 207 provided for dual licenses, which would be entities that hold both nonprofit medical marijuana and for-profit marijuana establishment licenses.”
DHS was authorized to revoke licenses for violations and penalize entities for violations.
(131) Adult use licenses prioritized for existing non-profit Medical marijuana dispensaries in good standing, which include:
– 1 retail location (likely existing site or adjacent),
(B) 1 Off-Site Cultivation,
(C) 1 off site manufacturing processing and packing facility -Likely structured as a hub style:-Edibles manufacturing, likely Brand opportunities-Extraction Lab, Likely Brand opportunities-Packaging (Likely Ancillary opportunities) , Likely also used as admin and wholesale offices).
(12 )- County based “Early Applications” – ANYONE CAN APPLY
“issue no more than two marijuana establishment licenses in counties that contain no registered nonprofit medical marijuana dispensaries;
issue no more than one marijuana establishment license in counties with one nonprofit medical marijuana dispensaries”
Methodology to determine 12 licenses: Compare the list from ADHS registered licensed operating non-profit medical dispensary locations to a county map:
Apache County – 0 not for profit mmj dispensaries – (2) licenses
Santa Cruz County – 0 not for profit mmj dispensaries – (2) licenses
La Paz County – 0 not for profit mmj dispensaries – (2) licenses
Greenlee County – 0 not for profit mmj dispensaries – (2) licenses
Yuma County – 1 not for profit mmj dispensaries – (1) license
Cochise County – 1 not for profit mmj dispensaries – (1) license
Gila County – 1 non-porfit mmj dispensaries – (1) license
Graham County – 1 not for profit mmj dispensaries – (1) license
Timeframe:
Jan. 19th to March 9th Early Applicants may apply
Within 60 days of turning in a qualified application a dispensary registration certificate must be issued. This is likely First-come first-awarded if qualified and acceptable application is reviewed as administratively complete and substantively complete to the process.
March 9th + 60 days = May 8th for last of early applicants to be awarded licenses
Social Equity Ownership Program Licenses: 26 available
Likely to begin approx. July 7th 2020 (May 8th + no earlier than 60 days) to start accepting SEOP applications. may be later than that if rules are not established.
(26) Prop 207 requires a Social Equity Ownership Program – ADHS will form the rules and program design
Rules Must be publicized on the ADHS website and to the public 60 days before any random selection
Research for possible social equity rules based on data:
Maricopa County Crime Data:
https://www.maricopacountyattorney.org/419/Data-Dashboard#about
NORML Crime data:
https://norml.org/marijuana/library/state-marijuana-arrests/arizona-marijuana-arrests/
Voters pass Proposition 207
Jared Keenan, senior staff attorney at the ACLU of Arizona, had the following reaction to Proposition 207 being passed in Arizona:
“Voters chose to move Arizona forward last night. As the state with the fifth highest incarceration rate in the country, the legalization and decriminalization of marijuana use will help Arizona reduce its bloated prison population while allowing those convicted of a past marijuana offense to have their record cleared. We will work to ensure that prosecutors across the state uphold the will of Arizona voters and end the practice of saddling people with a felony conviction for simple marijuana possession.”