By David Downs | Leafy
Arizona’s medical cannabis program is about to become cheaper and cleaner, courtesy of a new bill passed by the Legislature and signed by Gov. Doug Ducey late Friday.
Under the new rules, medical cannabis cards will be valid for two years instead of one. That will save patients the $150 application fee every other year. Patients will also save on annual doctor visit fees.
Demitri Downing, executive director of the Marijuana Industry Trade Association, applauded the move. “$150 does not grow on trees,” he said, “and for patients it’s a lot of money the government does not need.”
Furthermore, mandatory potency and purity testing will kick in on Nov. 1, 2020.
“This is an important step forward for Arizona’s Medical Marijuana Program, as the passage of SB 1494 lowers the cost of Qualifying Patient Cards and implements mandatory third-party testing for all medical marijuana. We look forward to the development and implementation of the new testing licensing and requirements as the Arizona Department of Health Services commences with the rulemaking process in the near future.”
