Arizonans Consumed 83 Tons of (Legal) Marijuana in 2019

According to the Arizona Department of Health Services, Arizonans bought 83 tons (nearly $580 million) of medical marijuana products in 2019.

Prices have dropped some since 2018 when a pound of marijuana was selling for about $4,800, according to AZCentral. In 2019, the average price per pound was $3,500.

Marijuana flowers made for the vast amount of marijuana products sold in Arizona last year. Then concentrates and edibles.

Efforts to legalize adult-use marijuana are also off to a great start with $1.6 million raised so far and over 150,000 signatures for the Smart and Safe Arizona ballot initiative.

The main anti-marijuana group in Arizona, ARDP, doesn’t plan to form a political action committee (PAC) to ramp up opposition efforts this year. The group was able to raise $6.3 million in funding to thwart legalization efforts in 2016.

“At this point, ARDP has no plans to form a PAC in opposition to the initiative,” said ARDP spokesman Robert Leger.

Perhaps the reason that ARDP isn’t planning to battle legalization efforts is the loss of two of their biggest contributors: Discount Tire (the founder, Bruce Halle, passed away) and Insys Therapeutics (the founder and some top executives were sentenced to prison for fraud and bribery charges last month).

Arizona’s medical marijuana market is robust, and several polls have shown strong voter support in the state for adult-use cannabis legalization. If all pro-marijuana Arizonans vote “yes” for the Smart and Safe Arizona ballot initiative in November then legalization will likely happen.