Arizona’s attorney general is asking the state’s Supreme Court to end the sale of hashish under the state medical marijuana program, a move that could deal a notable blow to MMJ sales.
Capitol Media Services reported that AG Mark Brnovich is asking the state’s highest court to make possession of “hashish,” defined in state law as resin from cannabis, a crime for MMJ patients.
Here’s what you need to know:
- Brnovich argues that the Arizona’s 2010 MMJ law legalized the use of marijuana trim and flower but not extracts, including hashish.
- In June, the state’s Court of Appeals ruled that cannabis extracts, which account for almost half of Arizona’s large MMJ market, are illegal. Despite the ruling, the state’s MMJ dispensaries have continued to sell extracts to patients.
- The appeals court ruling upheld the conviction of a man who was arrested for carrying hashish and charged with possession of 1.43 grams of “cannabis” in 2013.
- The Arizona Supreme Court hasn’t decided whether it will hear a challenge to the Court of Appeals ruling.
- Former state health director Will Humble, who wrote the language in the MMJ regulations, said he interprets the law differently and that extracts such as hashish shouldn’t be made illegal, Capitol Media Services reported.
- The health department released a statement saying it will comply with any decision by the state Supreme Court.
