State approves 86 licenses after passage of Prop 207.
PHOENIX — Recreational marijuana became available for sale in Arizona Friday after state officials approved dozens of license requests across the state.
The Harvest HOC of Scottsdale Dispensary near Hayden Road and Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard, which previously only sold medical marijuana, received approval for its recreational license from the state around noon.
The business says it has already made sales of recreational marijuana since receiving approval.
It’s among a total of 86 businesses that were approved by the state as of Friday evening, after initially having 73 approved locations early Friday.
See the full list of approved recreational marijuana licenses here, or view in the map below:
Recreational marijuana was passed by voters last year after a similar measure was rejected in 2016.
Before this, marijuana was only approved for medicinal use with an issued medical marijuana card. And, providing that they have a legitimate medical reason for doing so, probation does not stop patients from using medical cannabis in Arizona, although they should be careful not to get into any situations that could compromise their parole, such as driving under the influence.
The state is expected to issue around 130 new recreational marijuana licenses in counties with fewer than two dispensaries. Entrepreneurs who would like to own and operate a dispensary may consider opening a separate bank account for a cannabis dispensary so they can better monitor their finances.
After the passing of Proposition 207, it was noted that established marijuana dispensaries would be among the first to be allowed to sell recreational marijuana. The Arizona Department of Health Services, ADHS, would be in charge of regulating the industry and issuing licenses. The AGCO Pre-Authorization Inspection is also known as the dispensary inspection agco.
