A report that evaluates medical marijuana programs nationwide says Arizona is doing pretty well in protecting the rights of medicinal weed patients, as well as giving patients easy access to their medicine.

However, according to the patient-input-based analysis by the Washington-based nonprofit Americans for Safe Access, Arizona is in the dumps when it comes to product safety rules, meaning regulations, such as comprehensive marijuana testing protocols aren’t yet in place.

The nonprofit surprisingly gave the state an overall grade of B-, largely because the report finds that Arizona protects its medical marijuana patients from issues like DUIs and other arrests. In terms of DUIs, the Arizona Supreme Court ruled in November 2015 that medical marijuana patients suspected of driving under the influence must prove that the amount of active THC in their system is not enough to cause impairment—which critics say is quiet harsh.

The analysis also gives the state kudos for having a decent number of dispensaries in place (there are more than 80 throughout), allowing patients to grow their own weed (only people who live more than 25 miles away from a dispensaries have this right), and having reasonable guidelines for qualifying conditions—even though the Arizona Department of Health Services was pressured by a judge to add post-traumatic stress disorder to the Medical Marijuana Act two years ago, and refused to add eight new conditions, which included brain injury and diabetes, last year.

Read the whole report here.

This article appears in Jan 21-27, 2016.

I was born and raised in Guatemala City, Guatemala. I moved to Tucson about 10 years ago. Since I was old enough to enjoy reading, I developed an interest in writing, and telling stories through different...

7 replies on “Report Gives Arizona a Surprisingly High Score for Its Treatment of Medical Marijuana Patients, Access to Weed”

  1. The report cites information. However, the information does not necessarily lead to the conclusions they make.

    The report is correct. No Arizona bureaucracy has grown up to regulate product. But because of that, the industry is becoming self-regulating, and businesses are setting up to do testing for the growers and the dispensaries, testing for residue from fertilizers, pesticides, THC potency, and other possibly unsafe chemicals.

    Due to the lack of guidance from authorities, they tend to use products approved for the tobacco and food industries.

    The lack of a nanny state bureaucracy such as CA, does not mean that AZ is unsafe.

  3. And how have they been protected? Has the number of DUIs for cannabis gone down? I suspect it has gone UP.

  5. My neighbor was in a motorcycle accident single person. He had cannabinoids in his system. Ambulated to Banner in the trauma center pulled blood not once but 3 times. According to the paper given at checkout first two were inconclusive and smelled. Then police found his wallet in has saddle bags behind his license was his MMJ card. There was no prosecution or charge. Wondering so he had his Internist MD call the hematology lab and ask for the first two results. The second two were ordered for retest for cannabinoids.

    Summary; City of Tucson repaired the pot hole the next two days. Had he not had a MMJ card prosecuted for DUI.
    Who will tell of this protection? Barbra Lawalls office, the hmmm Walter Kronkite school of political subterfuge, or Mom Force AZ . Maybe perhaps government media offices spoon feed media and print reporters here in Tucson. And just what would they report if not prosecuted?

    So BPoole……… Just where would anyone might go to find this information? Of all the inquiries into checks by police and prosecutors of the person having a MMJ card prior to prosecuting for DUI related to Cannabinoids?

    I like the reference to the origin of the story as.
    “A report that evaluates medical marijuana programs nationwide” Who’s report where’s the validation? Sounds to me like it’s the ADA “Arizona Dispensary Association” trying to say they are self governing and anyone who’s been to more than 5 know’s that’s not accurate. So then if this Herman Georing type of “MARIJUANA DEPARTOF LICENSE AND CONTROLS” appoints people from the industry that quote hmm reports. I think this type of progressive socialistic idea has been attempted before.

  6. If I may also look at this previous post
    1- was he impaired?
    2-if impaired by what standard what prevailing rule says when you
    are impaired with cannabis blood oral is it just the presence ?
    3- releases the COT of possible litigation and judgement
    4-would insurance paid for the totaling of the motorcycle
    5- had been formerly charged with DUI on top the the medical bills
    6- possible loss of income medical needs and therapy ongoing
    7-had the legal dispensary not counseled them in native language
    could the dispensary and weed tender be sited for a DUI as well?

    What did happen? I did not witness this but I would bet knowing him he was going to fast on a beautiful Sunday morning drive down Mission.One needs to be extra cautious on a motorcycle with these roads not a second to daydream.

    He was not charged, insurance paid for the motorcycle, with that he paid his medical bills, didn’t lose his income, kept his standard of life to continue to be a productive part of his community. We need to think, is it vengeance or protection we are looking for in justice?

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