Medical Cannabis Sales in Arizona Up 41 Percent in 2018

[dropcap class=”kp-dropcap”]M[/dropcap]edical cannabis sales in Arizona jumped 41 percent in Arizona last year, with patients purchasing 61 tons of cannabis and cannabis products including edibles, vapes and oils. The number jumps from 86,000 pounds of products sold in 2017, to 122,000 pounds sold last year. The state’s reports do not release how much money was spent on medical cannabis.

According to the report, the state also approved 98.9 percent of medical cannabis patient applications it received. Patients in Arizona are required to pay a $150 fee to the state and between $100-$200 to a medical professional to receive the required certification. Patients with certifications are allowed to purchase 2.5 ounces of cannabis every two weeks.

In 2018, Arizona had more than 198,000 medical cannabis patients. Nearly 88 percent of patients listed chronic pain as a qualifying condition for cannabis. The next most listed condition was post-traumatic stress disorder which was listed on only 1.2 percent of applications.

The sale of cannabis-infused gummy candies, baked goods, beverages and concentrates grew 55 percent, while sales of cannabis flower grew 40 percent. The growth in concentrates is significant, as Arizona ruled concentrates were illegal for medical cannabis patients in the middle of last year.

The June ruling was largely ignored by dispensaries and patients, who continued buying, selling and consuming concentrates while waiting for a final decision from the Arizona Supreme Court. The court recently agreed to review the legality of medical cannabis concentrates.

Medical cannabis sales in Arizona are subject to a 5.6 percent sales tax, as well as an additional 0.25 percent to 4 percent in city and county taxes. The state fund from the card fees has grown into tens of millions of dollars. The money is used by the state to fund the roughly 30 workers who help regulate the cannabis industry.