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Arizona Medical Marijuana Program

FAQs


Medical Marijuana Registry Identification cards are now being printed with colored bars distinguishing each card type! Learn how to identify the new ID cards.

Use the links below to find answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about the Arizona Medical Marijuana Program. This is a developing program, so there may be things referenced in the FAQs that are not available yet. We suggest you bookmark this site and check back periodically to find the information you need.

Cities & Towns | Cultivation | Cultivation Boundry Check | Designated Caregivers
Dispensaries | General | Online Applications | Physicians | Qualifying Patients | Renewals

Note: The information provided here is intended to provide general guidance and is just a supplement to the final rules and existing Arizona statutes governing the Arizona Medical Marijuana Program. For specific sections of the rules and statutes that pertain to these FAQs, search our Rules & Statutes section.
 
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Cultivation

Click on a question below to see the answer.

CU01: Who can cultivate marijuana?

A qualifying patient or the qualifying patient's designated caregiver may be approved by the Department to cultivate medical marijuana if the qualifying patient lives more than 25 miles from the nearest dispensary.

A dispensary may cultivate marijuana at the dispensary or at a cultivation site. The location of the dispensary and the cultivation site needs to be in compliance with local zoning restrictions. Anyone who cultivates medical marijuana must do so in an enclosed, locked area.

CU02: Does a qualifying patient or designated caregiver authorized to grow have to follow the same requirements as a dispensary to cultivate marijuana?

No, the only requirements that qualifying patients or designated caregivers who are authorized to cultivate marijuana must follow are the number of plants grown in an enclosed, locked facility specified in state law.

CU03: Will the Department be inspecting the homes of qualifying patients or designated caregivers authorized to grow marijuana?

The Department has no authority to inspect the homes of qualifying patients or designated caregivers authorized to grow marijuana.

CU04: Can a qualifying patient or designated caregiver authorized to grow medical marijuana use the same enclosed, locked facility used by another qualifying patient or designated caregiver also authorized to grow medical marijuana? Would these facilities be subject to inspection?

Sites used by qualifying patients or designated caregivers to grow marijuana are not subject to inspection by the Department. However, state law limits the number of plants that may be grown and includes the requirement that cultivation be done in "an enclosed, locked facility."

CU05: Can cultivation be done in a greenhouse?

Cultivation must be done in "an enclosed, locked facility." A greenhouse is included in the definition of "enclosed, locked facility". However, to meet the definition of "enclosed, locked facility," the greenhouse must be equipped with "locks or other security devices that permit access only by a cardholder" or surrounded by "solid 10-foot walls constructed of metal, concrete, or stone that prevent any viewing of the marijuana plants, with a one-inch thick metal gate."

CU06: Can I set up a cultivation facility without being a dispensary?

The statute ties cultivation to dispensaries by definition and requires a dispensary to provide the address of an additional cultivation location, if any, when applying for a registration. The Department does not have authority to issue a separate certificate to an entity that is only a cultivation facility.

CU07: How much will it cost to apply for a registry identification card or a dispensary registration certificate?

The fees are listed in rules and include:
  • $150 for an initial or a renewal registry identification card for a qualifying patient. Some qualifying patients may be eligible to pay $75 for initial and renewal cards if they currently participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
  • $200 for an initial or a renewal registry identification card for a designated caregiver. A caregiver must apply for a new card for every patient under their care (up to five patients).
  • $500 for an initial or a renewal registry identification card for a dispensary agent.
  • $5,000 for an initial dispensary registration certificate.
  • $1,000 for a renewal dispensary registration certificate.
  • $2,500 to change the location of a dispensary or cultivation facility.
  • $10 to amend, change, or replace a registry identification card.

CU08: Where do I find seeds or plants to grow until the dispensaries open?

The Arizona Department of Health Services cannot advise anyone on where to obtain the means to grow marijuana.

CU09: I would like to provide growing equipment to qualifying patients or designated caregivers who are authorized to grow medical marijuana. How can I get a list of qualifying patients and designated caregivers?

The Department cannot provide you a list of qualifying patients or designated caregivers. The Arizona Medical Marijuana Act (A.R.S. § 36-2810) states that

information received and records kept by the department for the purposes of administering the Act, including "

the individual names and other information identifying persons to whom the Department has issued registry identification cards," are confidential.