Bill > SB1713

This bill aims to create a rural opportunity initiative for marijuana establishments in Arizona, focusing on providing economic opportunities for small, underserved rural communities. The bill instructs the Arizona Department of Health Services to establish a program by July 1, 2026, that will allow qualified applicants to obtain both a marijuana establishment license and a medical marijuana dispensary registration certificate for unserved rural communities. Specifically, the bill allows the department to issue up to 18 licenses to entities that want to operate in rural areas with populations under 50,000 and that are at least 25 miles from existing marijuana retail sites. Applicants must obtain landowner consent and comply with local zoning restrictions. These rural marijuana establishments will be unique in that they are only required to operate for 24 hours per week, can have one retail location and one off-site cultivation location, and can relocate to another unserved rural community if desired. Communities can opt out of the initiative by submitting a form to the department, and counties can opt out on behalf of census-designated areas. The bill is designed to create tax revenue and economic opportunities for rural communities while providing controlled expansion of marijuana retail locations.