Arizona generated over 1.4 billion dollars in revenue from marijuana in 2021. That’s a stunning feat for a single year of legalization. After all, cannabis has only been legal in the state since voters passed Proposition 207 in November 2020.
With the first year of legal recreational use in the books, what can residents of Arizona look forward to in 2022? Read on for some incredible facts about how Arizona dispensaries are affecting the Grand Canyon State!
1. The Number of Arizona Dispensaries Grew Rapidly
It didn’t take long for businesses to pop up selling marijuana to those 21 and older. By the end of January 2021, just two months after legalization, there were 73 budding businesses with open doors.
But that figure comes from over a year ago now, and a lot has changed since. More and more businesses set up shop with dispensaries for any adult wanting a toke. Today, in 2022, it’s easier than ever to find a recreational dispensary in Arizona; Harvesthoc alone has almost 20 locations in the state.
2. Cannabis Funds Community Colleges
More dispensaries mean more money, and more money means taxes. Dispensaries in Tucson and in Pima each brought in over two million dollars in revenue in 2021. But where did that money go?
No matter where they are, dispensaries in Arizona are making money and doing their part for the public good. No fewer than 10 community colleges have received 31 million dollars via taxes from recreational marijuana. This is due to a law decreeing that community colleges get one-third of the excise tax from marijuana sales each year.
The colleges in turn are able to put the extra cash in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and toward supporting education programs, among other things.
3. Expungement Is Now Possible (and Other Legal Effects)
With the full legalization of recreational marijuana and the sprouting of dispensaries, those legally affected by past cannabis laws may be in for a reprieve.
Since July 12, 2021, it has been possible to petition your case for expungement. Expungements are possible for specific marijuana offenses, including possessing, consuming, and transporting up to 2.5 ounces, cultivating a few plants for personal use, and the possession, transportation, and use of paraphernalia.
While not everyone legally affected by the laws of the past will be eligible for expungement, it’s certainly one way that the Arizona recreational dispensary is changing things in the state.
Expungement is not all, however. With the introduction of legal dispensaries, you can possess up to one ounce of marijuana, and police can no longer perform warrantless searches just because they smell the substance on your person!
Let’s Roll One For a Great 2022
With an increasing number of dispensaries opening their doors, community colleges being given extra funding, and folks being given a second chance, Arizona dispensaries have changed a lot in a short time. As always, though, it is important to be aware of Arizona dispensary laws and laws for daily possession, consumption, and transportation.
If you found this article helpful, browse on for more insights regarding your cannabis needs!