Arizona Republic:  “A business consultant whose zoning-verification request for a medical-marijuana dispensary was denied by Fountain Hills is threatening legal action to challenge the “reasonableness” of its zoning restrictions.  Ingrid Jolya, a member/manager of Phoenix-based ETD Systems, submitted an application for two suites in the strip center at 17005 E. Colony Drive. . . . There have been three denied and one has been issued . . . . The ordinance is so restrictive that there are only two possible locations for a medical-marijuana dispensary, a public storage area and a vacant lot”

This is an example of how the cities rather than Arizona Department of Health Services are now able because of the change made to the rules on April 14, 2011, to determine who gets a medical marijuana dispensary in their jurisdictions.  Without a comfort letter from the city, a prospective dispensary owner cannot file an application for a dispensary license.

See “Three IEDs in DHS’ Actual Final Rules Detonate & Blow Many Would-Be Arizona Medical Marijuana Dispensaries Away.”