In most states in the United States where medical marijuana is legal, the state or a state agency regulates the dispensaries. This is to be certain that the strength of the drug is consistent and the quality is safe for people taking it for medical purposes. In Arizona, where medical marijuana was just recently legalized and set to become available in 2011, there are no plans to regulate it.
The Argument
Officials in Arizona argue that it is critical to know the drug’s country of origin and whether or not pesticides were used in the process. They do not place the same importance on the strength of each plant. Measuring the amount of THC is a tedious and costly process that they do not deem necessary or practical to the process. There is a lot of variation even in plants that were grown in identical environments. Arizona’s Department of Health is just not deciding on some basic regulations for when the drug becomes available to patients with prescriptions in March 2011.
The Plan
Proposition 203 set the plan into motion for Arizona to legalize medical marijuana. Arizona has laid out some guidelines. Approved dispensaries of medical marijuana will need to have a medical director on their staff to handle any issues and handle patients’ questions. Medical doctors must see a patient regularly in order to prescribe marijuana as part of treatment. Buyers must carry identification cards. Growers will need to pass security measures set by the state and meet certain guidelines about how the plant is grown.
Rules About Usage
Patients must smoke in their homes or in their yards, there will be laws barring them from smoking medical marijuana in public places. Officials do say that patients would be able to find other methods, such as ingesting the drug, to take a dose when they are not at home.
