The Arizona Department of Health Services published a Frequently Asked Questions for prospective Arizona medical marijuana dispensaries.  This is a very enlightening document.  Here are some gems I discovered in the FAQ.

  • When can I apply for a dispensary license?ADHS will accept applications for dispensaries between June 1st and June 30th, 2011.
  • When will you award the dispensary certificates? ADHS anticipates the allocation process for initial dispensary certificates to be completed in August 2011.
  • On what basis will dispensary registration certificates be awarded? The Department will issue dispensary registration certificates using an evaluation process. If only one complete application is received for a dispensary in a particular CHAA, that applicant will be awarded a dispensary registration certificate. If more than one complete application is received for a dispensary in a particular CHAA, the Department will use the evaluation process to allocate the dispensary registry certificate.
  • Once I apply for a dispensary certificate, can I change the address in my application before I begin operating? Yes, as long as the new address complies with local zoning and you pay the fee.
  • Do I need a certificate of occupancy from my city in order to apply? No, applicants do not need to submit a certificate of occupancy in the initial application.
  • How many dispensary registration certificates will one entity be able to obtain? A person may be an applicant, principal officer, or board member on only one dispensary registration certificate application for a location in a single CHAA and on no more than five dispensary registration certificate applications for locations in different CHAAs.
  • In the dispensary application, I have to confirm whether: I’ve been a resident of Arizona for 3 years, whether I am delinquent on federal, state and local taxes, child support, or student loans etc., whether I’ve ever been bankrupt, whether Everyone with a 20% financial interest in the dispensary is an applicant or board member, and whether I have access to $150K in startup capital.
  • Are these requirements? All principal officers, board members and dispensary applicants must have lived in Arizona for the preceding three years before application. According to rules, a delinquency on federal, state, or local taxes, child support, or student loans, an unpaid judgment due to a governmental agency, or a past bankruptcy does not disqualify an applicant from being allocated a dispensary registration certificate. However, ADHS may use those factors as criteria in the selection of who will be allocated a dispensary registration certificate if there is more than one qualified applicant for a given CHAA.
  • Can a dispensary change the location of the dispensary? Within the first three years after receiving a dispensary registry certificate, a dispensary may move; the new location must also be within the CHAA for which the dispensary registration certificate was issued. After the first three years, a dispensary may move to a location in another CHAA.
  • Is a dispensary in a rural area of Arizona required to remain in the CHAA for which the dispensary registration certificate was issued? A dispensary in a rural CHAA must remain in the CHAA for which the dispensary registration certificate was issued for the first three years. After the first three years, a dispensary in a rural CHAA may move to a location in another CHAA but it must prove the new site complies with local zoning requirements.