Arizonans Suing State to Lower Annual Fee for Medical Marijuana Cards

A lawsuit filed against Arizona hopes to reduce the cost of medical marijuana cards. Specifically named in the lawsuit are Governor Doug Ducey and the Arizona Department of Health Services. These entities are named for their roles in determining the arbitrary annual cost for medical marijuana cards.

Those behind the lawsuit claim that they cannot afford the hefty annual fee, reports ABC 15 News. The state fee in Arizona is $150 annually. Patients must also pay to visit a doctor annually.

Yolanda Daniels gives medical marijuana to her granddaughter for epilepsy. Daniels is part of the lawsuit and said, “She was having probably five seizures a day. She was on so many meds, that she didn’t have any quality of life.” After trying 23 different medications with no relief, Daniels turned to medical marijuana for her granddaughter.

“In the first month [after using medical marijuana], she didn’t have any seizures at all,” Daniels recalled.

Steve White, the family’s attorney, hopes to turn this into a class action lawsuit for all Arizona cardholders. “It got to a point where we said enough is enough and we got to do something about it,” said White. “It is unclear whether or not the department was permitted to set a fair price or if the department was influenced by other state officials in the process.”

“No one should have to make the choice of saving money for a card or their child’s life,” said Daniels.