Arizona Bill Aims to Reverse Decline in Medical Marijuana Market

A proposed bill in the Arizona state legislature aims to significantly reduce the cost of medical marijuana cards, in response to a substantial decline in both MMJ sales and patient registrations. SB 1466, which was approved by the state Senate in March, seeks to lower the price of MMJ cards from $150 to $50 for the general public. As reported by the Phoenix New Times, veterans would be eligible to receive MMJ cards free of charge. Additionally, the bill aims to expand the list of qualifying conditions to include autism spectrum disorders and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Current state data indicates that 94% of existing MMJ cardholders have chronic pain listed as a qualifying health condition. This legislative proposal comes at a time when MMJ sales and the number of qualified patients have experienced a significant decline. In February, the latest month for available statistics, Arizona's MMJ sales dropped to $28.2 million, marking the lowest monthly total since the launch of adult-use retail in January 2021, according to the Arizona Department of Revenue. February's total marijuana sales amounted to $105.2 million, with adult-use sales accounting for 73.1% of that figure.

Meanwhile, the number of qualifying medical marijuana patients in Arizona decreased to 127,266 by April, representing a drop of nearly 85,000 patients since April 2022. Overall, the total number of medical patients has declined by nearly 57% from 295,295 in December 2020, which was the last month before recreational retail sales commenced.