• Skip to main content

USA Mobile Drug Testing

  • Services
    • Order Drug Testing Online
    • Drug Testing Near me
    • Drug Testing
    • Background Screening
    • Training and Support
    • Consumer Services
  • Customer Login
  • Blog
  • Drug Testing Locations – Drug Testing Near Me
  • Contact

Home / Drug News / Arizona’s New Medical Marijuana Law

Arizona’s New Medical Marijuana Law

February 10, 2020 by David Bell

Last updated : May 12, 2025

Arizona had a reputation for being strongly opposed to marijuana legalization. It took several initiatives before Proposition 203 succeeded in legalizing medical marijuana in the state in 2010.

Since then, over 200,000 caregivers, dispensaries, and people with ailments identified as qualifying conditions for a medical marijuana prescription have benefited from the legalization.

However, even though medical marijuana is now legal in Arizona, cardholders in the state may still face DUI charges if they get behind the wheel after using marijuana. Their medical marijuana card does not exempt them from Arizona’s strict DUI laws, and they will need the help of a DUI defense attorney if they ever get arrested for driving under the influence.

Nevertheless, Arizona continues to take significant strides with regards to medical marijuana with the signing into law of Senate Bill 1494 in June 2019. Let’s take a closer look at Arizona’s new medical marijuana law, which is poised to make significant changes to Arizona’s medical marijuana program.

Safer medical marijuana

Under SB 1494, medical marijuana dispensaries in Arizona will be required to test their products for mold, pesticides, fungicides, heavy metals, and other toxins and contaminants starting November 1, 2020. The testing requirement also aims to establish the potency of the marijuana products that dispensaries are selling.

Aside from medical marijuana testing, SB 1494 will also require dispensaries to provide the results of such tests to patients and caregivers who ask for them.

The strict enforcement of SB 1494’s testing requirement will ensure that all medical marijuana products sold out of dispensaries in Arizona will be safe and of high quality.

Before SB 1494, Arizona was one of two (the other being Rhode Island) of the 33 states that have legalized medical marijuana that didn’t have a marijuana testing requirement for dispensaries in place.

Two-year medical marijuana card validity

SB 1494 also cuts the cost of medical marijuana cards by half, but not by slashing the price of the card, which still stands at $150. The new law does so by extending the validity of the card from one year to two years.

However, only medical marijuana cards issued after August 27, 2019, the effectivity date of the new law, are valid for two years. Cards issued before that date will still have a one-year validity, even when its expiration date goes beyond the law’s effectivity date.

Medical marijuana cards in Arizona have also gone electronic on December 1, 2019, as mandated by SB 1494. With electronic medical marijuana cards, patients no longer need to carry an actual card when buying from a dispensary.

DUI and medical marijuana

Medical marijuana may already be legal in Arizona, but driving under the influence of the substance, even for medicinal purposes, is still punishable in the state.

A.R.S. 28-1381(A)(1) of the Arizona Revised Statutes clearly states that anyone—including medical marijuana cardholders—who gets behind the wheel after using marijuana is to be charged with DUI. Drivers can show their medical marijuana card—electronic or otherwise—to the police officer who stopped them on suspicion of DUI, and it will do nothing to stop their arrest. Even when there’s no visible sign of impairment, a driver will still be charged with a DUI if a drug test finds traces of the substance in his or her system at the time of the arrest.

Marijuana DUI penalties in Arizona

A First DUI conviction in Arizona carries a minimum fine of $1,250 and at least 10 days in jail. Community service, license suspension, probation, and ignition interlock device installation may also be added to the list of penalties.

If that same offender gets convicted for a second DUI within 84 months, he or she will pay a minimum fine of $3,000 and serve at least 90 days in jail. Additional penalties may include community service, license suspension, probation, ignition interlock device installation, and mandatory participation in a drug treatment program.

The penalties become harsher with a third DUI conviction within seven years. A minimum of four months in prison awaits the offender. He or she will also have to pay fines of up to $150,000. A three-year license suspension may also be meted out, as well as up to 5 years’ probation. The offender may also lose his or her vehicle through forfeiture and will be required to participate in a drug treatment program.

While the State of Arizona has relaxed its stance on medical marijuana after years of keeping it at bay, its laws against driving under the influence remain as stringent as ever. So if you’re a medical marijuana cardholder and you find yourself arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of marijuana, get the services of a skilled and experienced DUI attorney. With a DUI lawyer defending you, your chances of getting a positive result will improve.

Filed Under: Drug News

Ready to learn more or schedule a drug test?

Service area:

USA
Canada

Find a drug testing location

  • Alabama
  • Alaska
  • Arizona
  • Arkansas
  • California
  • Colorado
  • Connecticut
  • District of Columbia
  • Delaware
  • Florida
  • Georgia
  • Hawaii
  • Idaho
  • Illinois
  • Indiana
  • Iowa
  • Kansas
  • Kentucky
  • Louisiana
  • Maine
  • Maryland
  • Massachusetts
  • Michigan
  • Minnesota
  • Mississippi
  • Missouri
  • Montana
  • Nebraska
  • Nevada
  • New Hampshire
  • New Jersey
  • New Mexico
  • New York
  • North Carolina
  • North Dakota
  • Ohio
  • Oklahoma
  • Oregon
  • Pennsylvania
  • Puerto Rico
  • Rhode Island
  • South Carolina
  • South Dakota
  • Tennessee
  • Texas
  • Utah
  • Vermont
  • Virginia
  • Washington
  • West Virginia
  • Wisconsin
  • Wyoming

About David Bell

After seeing the damage caused by drug use first-hand, David sold his previous company and worked his way up through the ranks in the drug testing industry to help employers keep drugs and alcohol out of the workplace.

© USA Mobile Drug Testing

800-851-2021

14502 N Dale Mabry #200,
Tampa, FL 33618


  • Headquarters Website
  • Franchise Information
  • Become an Affiiliate

Drug Testing Methods

  • Urine Drug Test
  • Mouth Swab Drug Test
  • Hair Drug Test
  • Blood Drug Test

Drug Testing Panels

  • 5 Panel Drug Test
  • 9 Panel Drug Test
  • 10 Panel Drug Test
  • 12 Panel Drug Test

Drug Testing Conditions

  • Pre-Employment Drug Testing
  • Random Drug Testing
  • DOT Drug Testing
  • Reasonable Suspicion Drug Testing
  • Post-Accident Drug Testing
  • Probation Drug Testing

Web design by Spartan Media

Do you need a drug test conducted at a certain date and time? Call us at and we will dispatch a mobile collection specialist to administer your drug tests at any location, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

x

Are you looking for more information about drug testing, a drug free workplace program, or compliance? Call us at and we'll be happy to answer any questions you may have and tailor a program to your specific needs.

x