AZ Marijuana Arizona Marijuana Info
On Dec 18, President Trump signed an executive order to expedite the rescheduling of marijuana from Schedule I to the less severe Schedule III, with the reasoning being that marijuana has proven medicinal benefits that Americans deserves access to.
The executive order, in part, says: “Chronic pain affects nearly 1 in 4 United States adults and more than 1 in 3 United States seniors, and 6 in 10 people who use medical marijuana report doing so to manage pain. Forty States plus the District of Columbia have state- or locally-sanctioned, regulated medical marijuana programs. Yet decades of Federal drug control policy have neglected marijuana’s medical uses.”
Trump cited polling data that found people the vast majority of people are in favor of marijuana rescheduling. He stated, “I want to emphasize that the order I am about to sign is not the legalization or it doesn’t legalize marijuana in any way, shape or form, and in no way sanctions its use as a recreational drug.”
Under the Controlled Substances Act, a Schedule I substance is considered to have no currently accepted medical uses. A Schedule III substance is believed to have a “moderate to low potential for physical and psychological dependence.” The executive order will have no impact on criminal penalties or the recreational use of marijuana.
Rescheduling to Schedule III would also allow cannabis businesses, such as dispensaries, to deduct expenses — such as advertising, supplies, equipment and professional services — on federal taxes, something businesses dealing with Schedule I and II substances are not permitted to do.
Arizona legalized marijuana for medical use in 2010 and for recreational use in November 2020. The law allows adults aged 21+ to purchase, possess and use cannabis. State-licensed cannabis dispensaries began selling recreational marijuana in early 2021. There are over 150 dispensaries in Arizona — a majority of them are in populous areas such as Phoenix, Tucson and Flagstaff. Recreational cannabis delivery services began operating in 2024.
