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Judge opens door for first two marijuana dispensaries |
| Written by Christopher Fox Graham |
| Saturday, 22 December 2012 14:58 |
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A court ruling earlier this month paved the way for the first medical marijuana dispensaries to open in Arizona.
However, a ruling by Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Michael D. Gordon on Dec. 3 definitively ruled in favor of a dispensary owner, paving the way for dispensaries to open across Arizona. “In Judge Gordon’s ruling, he recognized that there is disagreement with his analysis,” Yavapai County Attorney Sheila Polk said. “I have been told that the parties to the litigation — the Arizona attorney general and the Maricopa County attorney — will appeal the ruling by Judge Gordon, and have asked him for a stay of his order.” Despite the possible appeal, Southern Arizona Integrated Therapies opened the next day in Tucson and started dispensing marijuana to legal card holders Tuesday, Dec. 11. Arizona Organix opened Dec. 6 and immediately began legally selling marijuana to customers in Glendale. When a dispensary will open in the Verde Valley is unclear. One will be permitted in Sedona’s Community Health Analysis Area while another will be permitted in an area that includes the rest of the Verde Valley. Only one license is issued per analysis area, determined by a lottery if there was more than one applicant per area. For the full story, see the Wednesday, Dec. 19, edition of The Camp Verde Journal or the Cottonwood Journal Extra.
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