It was an epic day on November 3rd for Arizona residents as the state has finally voted to legalize the drug recreationally.
As a result of the vote, the prosecutor in Arizona’s largest county is dropping all pending charges for recreational marijuana use by adults.
“Instead of continuing to spend resources on these cases, this office will begin implementing the will of the voters immediately,” the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office said in a written statement Monday.
Proposition 207 passed in Arizona with 60% of the vote.
In addition to decriminalizing most recreational use, the proposition allows past marijuana convictions to be expunged.
Ahead of the vote, several existing dispensaries had already started expansions in anticipation of the measure passing.
“We are already building walls and pounding nails,” said Steve Cottrell, president of Curaleaf Arizona to AZ Central. Curaleaf has eight medical-marijuana dispensaries in Arizona and 95 medical and recreational marijuana shops in 23 states.
Cottrell said the company spending about $4 million on upgrades at existing Arizona shops in anticipation of recreational sales, and has prepped for about eight months. Its Glendale shop is more than doubling in size to 5,000 square feet.
“These are all construction projects that have been approved by each municipality,” said Cottrell.
“Plants are sprouting and doing their thing,” he said. “We are well underway. When adult use comes to fruition, we will be more than ready to go.”
Curaleaf has a ninth Arizona license and is seeking zoning approval somewhere in the metro Phoenix area to open a dispensary with it.
