Arizona Is Accepting Petitions to Add New Medical Marijuana Qualifying Conditions

Every year, the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) allows Arizonans to submit petitions for adding new qualifying medical conditions to the state’s medical marijuana program. The ADHS reviews the petitions and will add any health conditions it deems justifiable.

According to the ADHS website, they will be accepting petitions between Jan 27-31, 2020.

“The Department will accept petitions to add to the list of debilitating medical conditions from January 27 to 31, 2020,” the ADHS noted. “Petitions will be accepted via U.S Mail only at P.O Box 19000, Phoenix, AZ 85005 and must be postmarked by the last day of the petition cycle.”

Over the years, Arizonans have submitted petitions for health ailments such as anxiety, depression, migraines/headaches, PTSD and autism. More often than not, the ADHS denies the petitions due to a “lack of sufficient evidence” that cannabis helps treat the petitioned health condition. But as researchers continue finding evidence that cannabis helps a wide range of health conditions, the ADHS will start approving more petitions.

The state’s current list of qualifying conditions are:

•      Cancer
•      Glaucoma
•      HIV
•      AIDS
•      Hepatitis C
•      Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)
•      Crohn’s disease
•      Agitation of Alzheimer’s disease
•      A chronic or debilitating disease or medical condition or the treatment for a chronic or debilitating disease or medical condition that causes:
•      Cachexia or wasting syndrome
•      Chronic pain (arthritis, migraines, etc)
•      Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
•      Severe nausea
•      Seizures, including those from epilepsy
•      Severe or persistent muscle spasms, including those characteristic of multiple sclerosis