The long awaited day may finally be here where Arizona residents can start buying legal marijuana in the state.
Marijuana sales to anyone 21 or older in Arizona could start within a day or two, with state health officials telling dispensaries that they are poised to issue licenses for recreational sales.
The stores to first be able to sell recreational marijuana and related products would be existing medical-marijuana dispensaries.
Some businesses said on Tuesday they are awaiting approval from state regulators to show up online.
“I’m sitting here at my computer hitting refresh, refresh,” said Raúl Molina, a partner and senior vice president of operations for The Mint dispensaries in Mesa and Guadalupe to AZ Central.
According to a spokesperson for the Department of Health Services, 40 medical dispensaries had applied to sell recreational marijuana as of Tuesday afternoon.
Molina said he is ready to begin sales as soon as he gets the green light.
“I am so ready,” Molina said. He had bought an additional 800 pounds of marijuana in the past month to meet the anticipated demand.
“We expect rushes like 4/20 (April 20) for probably like 10 to 30 days straight,” he said. “Basically it’s going to be 4/20 for a full month.”
It was last November that Arizonans approved Proposition 207 to legalize adult use and possession of marijuana.
