4 Aug 29th-Sept 4th, 2024 phoenixnewtimes.com PHOENIX NEW TIMES | NEWS | FEATURE | FOOD & DRINK | ARTS & CULTURE | MUSIC | CONCERTS | CANNABIS | Feature ▼ Flower Power How Arizona’s burgeoning weed lobby wields its political influence. BY TJ L’HEUREUX | PAGE 13 Food & Drink ▼ Campus Chow The 10 best restaurants near ASU’s campus in Tempe. BY PHOENIX NEW TIMES WRITERS | PAGE 19 E D I T O R I A L EDITOR Matt Hennie NEWS EDITOR Zach Buchanan CULTURE EDITOR Jennifer Goldberg FOOD EDITOR Tirion Boan STAFF WRITERS Sara Crocker, Morgan Fischer, Benjamin Leatherman, TJ L’Heureux SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR Itzia Crespo COPY EDITOR Rebecca Rhoades CONTRIBUTORS David Abbott, Asonta Benetti, Cassie Brucci, Nikki Michelle Charnstrom, Chris Coplan, Cassie Hepler, Mark C. Horn, Geri Koeppel, Stephen Lemons, Mike Madriaga, Ashley Naftule, Melissa Parker, Rudri Patel, Mr. P-body, Timothy Rawles, Tom Reardon, Allison Trebacz, Lauren Wise, Georgann Yara, Allison Young, Amy Young, Ryan Yousefi FOOD CRITIC Dominic Armato A R T ART DIRECTOR Emma Randall P R O D U C T I O N PRODUCTION MANAGER John Hunt GRAPHIC DESIGNER Adam Lasko, Eddie Villa M U LT I M E D I A A D V E R T I S I N G 602-271-0040 OUTSIDE SALES ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Jennifer Meister ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Ellis Alvarez OPERATIONS DIRECTOR Jennifer Huber ACCOUNT MANAGERS Grant Wade, Brooke Manahan, Lisa McDanel SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Hotchy Kiene, Tom Rodriguez, Grace Somers ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Matthew Gibbons, Alexandra Lynch INSIDE SALES ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Jennifer Meister ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Ellis Alvarez SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Cameron Boyes, Ronnie Cote ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Rafael Gil SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Cheryl Edwards D I G I TA L M E D I A SOCIAL MEDIA SPECIALISTS Raina Hines, Stella Penfold, Kara Vahe DIRECTOR OF DIGITAL SALES Andrew Meister M A R K E T I N G PROMOTIONAL COORDINATORS Kristin Buldan, Ashley Blair PROMOTIONAL COORDINATOR ASSISTANT Cassidy Novobilski RECRUITING/HIRING COORDINATOR Ruby Romero PROMOTIONS ACCOUNT MANAGER Crystal Fletcher C I R C U L AT I O N CIRCULATION DIRECTOR Brian Scharer B U S I N E S S DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS & OPERATIONS Brian Scharer SENIOR FINANCIAL ACCOUNTANT Seth Ewald ACCOUNTS PAYABLE COORDINATOR Kristina Smith ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE MANAGER Dante Battista ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE COORDINATOR Shari Rutkowski FRONT DESK RECEPTIONIST Madison Haynie PUBLISHER Kurtis Barton Voice Media Group EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Chelsey Dequaine-Jerabek EDITORIAL OPERATIONS DIRECTOR Bridget Thomason AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR Dallon Adams CORPORATE CONTROLLER Beth Cook LEGAL COUNSEL Steve Suskin CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Jeff Mars CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Scott Tobias EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT OF DIGITAL SALES Stuart Folb WEB SUPPORT MANAGER Michael Uchtman VICE PRESIDENT OF CORPORATE MARKETING Jenna Corday I N F O R M AT I O N T E C H N O L O G Y EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT OF DIGITAL OPERATIONS Gerard Goroski PRODUCT DIRECTOR James Hamilton IT DIRECTOR Dave Marcon OPERATIONS MANAGER Brian Heimert INFRASTRUCTURE ARCHITECT David Fearn DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS SYSTEMS Lee-ann Dunton V M G N AT I O N A L National Advertising 888-278-9866 WWW.VMGADVERTISING.COM BUSINESS MANAGER Seth Ewald SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF SALES OPERATIONS Joe Larkin NEW TIMES MAILING ADDRESS: 1201 East Jefferson Street, Phoenix, AZ 85034 FOR GENERAL INFORMATION CALL: 602-271-0040 FOR LOCAL ADVERTISING INFORMATION CALLS: 602-258-1073 FOR CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING CALL: 602-254-3177 FOR NATIONAL ADVERTISING INFORMATION CALL: 602-238-4800 Phoenix New Times (ISSN#0279-3962) is published weekly by Voice Media Group, 1201 E. Jefferson St., Phoenix, Arizona 85034. Periodicals postage paid at Phoenix, Arizona. New Times is available free of charge in Maricopa County, limited to one copy per reader. Additional copies of the current issue of New Times may be purchased for $1, payable in advance at the New Times office. Outside Maricopa County, the single-copy cost of New Times is $1. New Times may be distributed only by New Times’ authorized independent contractors or New Times’ authorized distributors. No person may, without prior written permission of New Times, take more than one copy of each New Times weekly issue. For back-issue information, call 602-271-0040. The entire contents of New Times are Copyright 2024 by Phoenix New Times LLC. No portion may be reproduced in whole or in part by any means including electronic retrieval systems without the express written permission of the publisher, New Times, 1201 E. Jefferson St., Phoenix, Arizona 85034. Our paper is printed on 100% post-consumer recycled product. ▼ Contents Contents 6 News 13 Feature 19 Food & Drink 26 Arts & Culture 30 Music 33 Concerts On the cover: Art by Emma Randall. Image by DustyPixel/Getty. Photo by Sean Holstege VOL. 55 | NO. 35 | AUG. 29- SEPT. 4, 2024 The Arizona Dispensaries Association, a trade group for powerful cannabis brands, has built influence at the Arizona State Capitol.
