Arizona cannabis consumers will soon have a new option if they don’t feel like leaving home but want to spark a pre-rolled joint. Starting Friday, they’ll be able to order recreational marijuana from the comfort of their homes.
That’s when a new policy adopted by the state Department of Health Services will go into effect, allowing all recreational marijuana retailers to conduct home deliveries, instead of the previous policy under which only medical marijuana was allowed to be delivered.
Home delivery of marijuana is huge in California, but it’s been slow to catch on in most other state markets.
The move is a welcome one for the state cannabis industry, and the Arizona Dispensary Association said in a press release that the new policy is a “significant step forward for Arizona’s marijuana market and consumer accessibility.”
The trade group also noted that the state implemented the policy months ahead of schedule, given that the original deadline for recreational cannabis deliveries to be permitted was New Year’s Day this upcoming January.
“We are thrilled that the Department of Health’s proactive approach and commitment to implementing a well-thought-out delivery program has helped us reach this landmark moment sooner than expected,” Ann Torrez, the executive director of the dispensary association, said in a release.
There are currently 161 recreational marijuana dispensaries operating in Arizona, according to the AZDHS website.
The market has been losing steam of late, and it’s possible that new delivery options could help retailers boost their sales numbers and reach more customers. August marijuana sales in Arizona totaled just $83.7 million, including $66.9 million in recreational sales and another $16.8 million in medical, with both tallies the lowest monthly sales figures for the entire calendar year to date, according to statistics from the state Department of Revenue.
John Schroyer has been a reporter since 2006, initially with a focus on politics, and covered the 2012 Colorado campaign to legalize marijuana. He has written about the cannabis industry specifically since 2014, after being on hand for the first-ever legal cannabis sales on New Year’s Day that year in Denver. John has covered subsequent marijuana market launches in California and Illinois, has written about every aspect of the marijuana trade, and was part of the team that built the cannabis industry’s first-ever trade show, MJBizCon. He joined Green Market Report in 2022.
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
Unpack the industry with the daily cannabis newsletter for business leaders.
Sign up
Unpack the industry with the daily cannabis newsletter for business leaders.
Sign up
The Green Market Report focuses on the financial news of the rapidly growing cannabis industry. Our target approach filters out the daily noise and does a deep dive into the financial, business and economic side of the cannabis industry. Our team is cultivating the industry’s critical news into one source and providing open source insights and data analysis
Crain Communications Inc © 2017 – . All rights reserved.
Crain Communications Inc © 2017 – . All rights reserved.
Unpack the industry with the daily cannabis newsletter for business leaders.