phoenixnewtimes.com PHOENIX NEW TIMES MARCH 3RD– MARCH 9TH, 2022 State Licensed Dispensaries & Doctor Certifications | CANNABIS | Americans For Safe Access Pass-Flail Grade Arizona gets a C- on a medical cannabis report card. BY CYRUS GUCCIONE O n a scale of acceptable to horrendous, Arizona ranks as mediocre when it comes to patient access to medical cannabis, according to Washington, D.C.-based patient advocacy group Americans for Safe Access. In its latest State of the States Report, ASA said that Arizona’s passing grade is largely because of its emphasis on recre- ational adult-use cannabis diverting resources away from the medical cannabis program. “As the state rolls out its adult-use program over the top of the existing medical infrastructure, products for medical patients (high dosage edibles, lotions, suppositories, RSO) have become scarce, while products for adult-use consumers have become ubiquitous,” the report stated. The report highlights many of the issues raised by Arizona patients concerning the performance of the medical cannabis program, including rising costs to consumers and low accessibility, especially for those living in rural areas. The group scored individual states on how well their cannabis laws and regula- tions accommodate patient needs, based on seven categories, including patient rights, accessibility, program functionality, affordability, and consumer protection. ASA gave the 55 states and territories assessed a collective average grade of D. Arizona’s C- rating places it in the middle of the pack, but in the top half, with 18 state programs better, 32 worse, and four others the same. The highest score went to Maine, which garnered a B grade for its high program functionality, lab operations, and the ratio of patients to dispensaries. The report cites Maine’s reasonable requirements for caregivers and physicians, and for “allowing telemedicine for certification.” Iowa and Nebraska both received an F because they are the only two states left in the country that prohibit both medical and adult-use cannabis. On individual criteria, ASA gave Arizona better-than-average marks for all but one: program administration. The Arizona Department of Health Services, which regulates the state’s medical marijuana industry, declined to comment. >> p 49 47
