Arizona Medical Marijuana Dispensaries

A Medical Marijuana Dispensary is a facility, regulated under the Arizona Medical Marijuana Act, which provides quality Medical Marijuana to registered patients. Registered with the Arizona Department of Health Service (ADHS), a medical marijuana dispensary must be operated on a non-profit basis but will be able to receive payments for expenses incurred in its operation. The Arizona State Board of Pharmacy, under the law, cannot issue more than one nonprofit registration certificate for every ten pharmacy permits. A dispensary can acquire marijuana from a registered patient who does not profit from it or from another registered nonprofit dispensary.

Visiting a Dispensary

Anyone who is below 18 years of age is prohibited to enter a dispensary. Patients who have a registration card can access a dispensary to obtain their medical marijuana supply.

Starting a Dispensary

A person who is at least 21 years old and who has passed a criminal record check for a rejected crime offense may be a principal officer or board member on an application for a dispensary enlistment authentication. An inspection and an operating license from the ADHS is required before starting an operation from a dispensary. There is an initial non-refundable fee of $5,000 for the application and the applicant must prove that he has a starting capital of $150,000 dated within 30 days in an in-state/out-state financial institution.

Rules and regulations for starting a dispensary are as follows:

A dispensary can only cultivate marijuana in an enclosed or locked facility.
The land to be used must be their own or approved by the landlord for use as a medical marijuana dispensary.
Specific security equipments are required, such as installation of video surveillance cameras, exterior lightings, limitations on unauthorized entrances, and policies or procedures in place to prevent unauthorized access to medical marijuana dispensaries.
Location must comply with the local zoning requirement.