Getting Your Medical Marijuana Card in Arizona

With so many benefits to getting your card, and easy access to a certifying doctor, there’s no better time than now to schedule your appointment!

In 2010, voters passed the Arizona Medical Marijuana Act (AMMA). Since then, the medical marijuana program in Arizona has provided millions of patients with safe and legal access to cannabis. This effectively empowered a significant section of our communities with the ability to manage pain and other ailments on their own terms, and, perhaps most importantly, without the need for any potentially dangerous or addictive drugs currently at the center of the pressing opioid epidemic in the United States.

In the wake of the relatively recent legalization of recreational marijuana in Arizona, questions have arisen with regard to the implications the legislation would have on the existing medical program. While the emergence of legalized cannabis has certainly presented an additional option when it comes to obtaining the plant, the framework of its legislation also includes different limitations and guidelines than its medicinal predecessor.

At a glance:

Medical Marijuana

In the State of Arizona, an AZ MMJ card, provided by the Arizona Department of Health Services, is required in order to purchase marijuana as a medical patient. The process of acquiring a card can vary in price depending on your particular prescribing doctor, but will include a fee of $75-150 for your initial registration, as well as for each renewal. Once obtained, your MMJ card is valid for two years, after which point renewal is available.

Recreational Marijuana

In November 2020, Prop 207 passed, allowing for recreational use of marijuana in the State of Arizona. As of April 5, 2021, adults 21 and older are able to legally purchase marijuana from any licensed dispensary operating in the state. However, there are limitations to consuming marijuana recreationally, many of which are not present for patients of medical marijuana. Source

Medical vs Recreational

From a regulatory perspective, there are important differences between medical cannabis and recreational marijuana—especially when it comes to a few main tenets of the law.

Allotment

Whereas medical patients can purchase up to two-and-a-half ounces per two-week period, recreational customers are limited to once ounce per visit. While this ostensibly creates a loophole in which recreational patients could theoretically purchase beyond the amount allowed for their medical counterpart, it’s important to note that the legal amount a recreational customer in Arizona is allowed to possess at one time is one ounce (or five grams of concentrated/extracted product).

Excise Tax

Possession limits notwithstanding, recreational customers are also subject to additional taxes, included as a provision in the verbiage of 2020’s Proposition 207. Upon the passing of the ballot initiative, which was officially titled the Smart and Safe Arizona Act (SASAA), the provision implemented a 16 percent excise tax on the sale of the newly legal weed.
This tax, which applies only to recreational purchases, is charged in addition to the existing 5.6 percent tax already present for the purchase of medical cannabis, leading to a fairly lofty increase in out-the-door totals.

Dosage Limitations

In addition to possession limits, recreational customers often experience limits on the dosages of the products they are allowed to purchase. When it comes to edibles, for instance, it’s worth further noting that recreational consumers are limited to 10mg of THC per piece, and a total of 100mg per package, while medical patients can purchase edibles in dosages up to 1,000mg. Customers may experience similar limitations when attempting to purchase tinctures, syringes, salves and a number of other products.

In Summation

Ultimately, the choice to obtain your medical marijuana card should come down to whether you will benefit from the medical use of cannabis. With that said, it’s worth noting that more and more people are finding relief and healing through the use of the plant.

“As the science behind cannabis continues to progress, the list of afflictions for which it can be used as a treatment is constantly growing. As that list grows, so grows the possibility that your particular ailment is one for which cannabis can provide relief. If this is the case, and you are interested in prolonged, continuous treatment, then you may indeed benefit from acquiring a medical card.” -GreenPharms blog

If you’ve determined that you might, indeed, benefit from a medical marijuana card, you are in luck. Safe and confidential access to a certifying doctor is available by visiting the Marijuana Doctor and scheduling an appointment today!