Arizona Marijuana Laws

Marijuana is fully legal in Arizona for both recreational and medical use. Cannabis can be purchased from dispensaries across the state or cultivated at home.

Adults may possess up to 1 ounce of marijuana and grow up to 6 plants at home.

Arizona Cannabis Laws

Adult-use of marijuana was legalized in Arizona on Election Day 2020 with the passing of Proposition 207.

The Smart and Safe Arizona Act (SSAA) permits adults 21 years of age and older to consume and possess marijuana recreationally.

Possession

Adults 21 and older can possess 1 ounce of marijuana and no more than 5 grams of concentrates.

Minors possessing less than 1 ounce could receive up to $100 in fines and be required to attend 4 hours of drug counseling.

Offense	Penalty	Incarceration	Max. Fine
1 oz	No penalty	None	$ 0
1 to 2.5 oz	Petty offense	None	$ 300
2.5 oz to 2 lbs	Felony	6 months – 1.5 years	$ 150,000
2 lbs – less than 4 lbs	Felony	9 months – 2 years	$ 150,000
4 lbs or more	Felony	1.5 – 3 years	$ 150,000

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Sale

Any sale of marijuana in Arizona is a felony. Sale of fewer than 2 pounds is punishable by between 1 year and 45 months in prison, and a minimum fine of $1,000.

Sale of between 2 and 4 pounds is punishable by between two and 8.75 years in prison and a minimum fine of $1,000.

Sale of more than four pounds can draw a sentence of between 3 and 12.5 years in prison, plus between $1,000 and $150,000 in fines.

Offense	Penalty	Incarceration	Max. Fine
Transfer of up to 1 oz*	No penalty	None	$ 0
Less than 2 lbs	Felony	1.5 – 3 years	$ 150,000
2 – 4 lbs	Felony	2.5 – 7 years	$ 150,000
More than 4 lbs	Felony	4 – 10 years	$ 150,000
* By adults without remuneration

Manufacture/Cultivation

Adults 21 and older can cultivate up to 6 plants at their home.

Manufacture of less than 2 pounds carries a penalty of between 6 months in jail and 2.5 years in prison, along with the usual maximum $150,000 in fines.

Manufacturing between 2 and 4 pounds of cannabis comes with a penalty of between 1 year and 45 months incarceration, plus a fine. The sentence for manufacturing more than 4 pounds is between 2 and 8.75 years in prison and a fine.

Trafficking less than 2 pounds carries a minimum sentence of 2 years in prison and a maximum of 8.75, plus a minimum fine of $1,000.

Trafficking more than 2 pounds is punished by a minimum of 3 years in prison and a maximum of 12.5, as well as a minimum fine of $1,000.

Offense	Penalty	Incarceration	Max. Fine
Less than 6 plants**	No penalty	None	$0
6 plants or more	Felony	9 months – 7 years	$150,000
** Non-commercial purposes in a private residence.

Trafficking

Transporting less than 2 lbs of cannabis into AZ is a class 3 felony. Offenses are subject to between 2 and 7 years imprisonment, and a fine or up to $1000 or an amount sufficient to exceed the proceeds of the offense.

Transporting more than 2 lbs into the state of Arizona is a Class 2 felony, punishable by a minimum of 2 years in prison, a maximum of 7 years, and a minimum fine of $1000 or enough to exhaust the proceeds of the offense.

Offense	Penalty	Incarceration	Max. Fine
Less than 2 lbs	Felony	2.5 – 7 years	$150,000
2 lbs or more	Felony	4 – 10 years	$150,000

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Concentrates

Adults 21 years and older can possess no more than 5 grams of marijuana concentrates under the SSAA.

Manufacturing or transporting concentrates into the state in any amount comes with a penalty of between 3 and 12.5 years in prison, plus a fine.

Offense	Penalty	Incarceration	Max. Fine
Less than 5 g	No penalty	None	$ 0
5 g to 12 g	Petty offense	None	$ 300
12.5 g or more	Felony	1 – 3.75 years	$ 150,000
Manufacture, Sale, or Trafficking	Felony	3 – 12.5 years	$ 150,000

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Paraphernalia

Arizona voters approved Prop 207, a ballot initiative legalizing the recreational use, possession and sale or marijuana to adults. This act also permits the possession, use and production of paraphernalia “relating to the cultivation, manufacture, processing or consumption of marijuana and marijuana products.”

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Miscellaneous

Employing a minor in the commission of a drug offense, being convicted of a prior felony, or committing a drug offense in a school zone, lead to an increased sentence.

Medical Marijuana

Arizona medical marijuana laws allow registered qualifying patients to obtain, use, and possess cannabis to treat their conditions. Patients must have a physician’s written certification that they have been diagnosed with a debilitating condition and would likely benefit from the use of marijuana.

Qualifying conditions

Alzheimer’s Disease
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (Lou Gehrig’s disease)
Cachexia or wasting syndrome
Cancer
Chronic pain
Crohn’s Disease
Glaucoma
Hepatitis C
HIV or AIDS
Nausea
Persistent Muscle Spasms
PTSD
Seizures

Patient possession limits

Under Arizona marijuana laws, patients are allowed to possess two and a half ounces of usable marijuana

Home cultivation

Yes, if the residence is further than 25 miles from a licensed dispensary. No more than twelve cannabis plants are allowed in an “enclosed, locked facility.”

State-licensed dispensaries

Yes, state-licensed dispensaries may produce and dispense cannabis to qualifying patients on a not-for-profit basis.

Caregivers

Yes

Reciprocity

Yes, the act defines a ‘visiting qualifying patient’ as a person ‘who has been diagnosed with a debilitating medical condition by a person who is licensed with authority to prescribe drugs to humans in the state of the person’s residence.