Gov. Decision to Implement Arizona Medical Marijuana Law Will Provide Overdue Relief to Sick
Announcement Comes Days After Federal Judge Granted ACLU Request to Dismiss Lawsuit Challenging Prop. 203
Arizona and 15 other states have legalized the use of marijuana for medical purposes. Approved in November 2010 by a margin of fewer than 5,000 votes, the Arizona measure created a system of non-profit dispensaries to be regulated by the state health department. Patients are barred from growing their own marijuana if they live within 25 miles of a dispensary.
Brewer filed her lawsuit five days before the state was set to begin accepting applications from would-be dispensary operators in May. The move opened the door for patients and caregivers to grow their own marijuana. Since then, the state has approved 18,000 medical marijuana patients, of which 15,000 are allowed to grow their own pot, according to the Health Services Department website.
Original post: From the ACLU