Arizona Supreme Court to Rule on Legality of Marijuana Extracts

The debate regarding the legality of marijuana extracts (hashish) in Arizona continues. On Jan 8, the Arizona Supreme Court said it has agreed to determine whether marijuana extracts are legal under the Arizona Medical Marijuana Act (AMMA).

Will Humble, who was the director of the Arizona Department of Health Services when the voter-approved marijuana law passed, expressed via affidavit to the Court that he always believed the AMMA allowed for alternate forms of marijuana, such as extracts, the Arizona Daily Star reported.

The AMMA defines “usable marijuana” as “the dried flowers of the marijuana plant, and any mixture or preparation thereof, but does not include the seeds, stalks and roots of the plant.”

The Arizona Department of Health Services has allowed state-licensed dispensaries to sell extracts since the AMMA was implemented and law enforcement throughout Arizona (except for in Yavapai County) has been allowing patients to use and possess marijuana extracts.

So, until the Court rules on the extract law in Arizona, dispensaries will continue to sell extracts and medical marijuana patients can continue to buy them (but avoid Yavapai County).

A date for the Court’s hearing will likely be this spring.