Sahuarita, AZ Cannabis Regulations: Dispensary Zoning (2026)
Key Facts
- Establishment status
- Prohibited town-wide
- Only exception
- Dual licensee, shared location
- Testing facilities
- Prohibited, no exception
- Adopted by
- Ordinance 2020-152
- General penalty
- Class one misdemeanor, up to $2,500
Summary
Sahuarita bars recreational marijuana establishments town-wide under Town Code § 9.20.040, to the fullest extent state law allows. The only path in is a dual licensee that already runs a nonprofit medical marijuana dispensary and operates the recreational establishment cooperatively in the same location, so long as the medical registration is never forfeited. Marijuana testing facilities are barred outright with no exception.
A. To the fullest extent allowable by law, the operation of a marijuana establishment is not permitted in the town of Sahuarita, except where authorized for a dual licensee who: 1. Operates both a nonprofit medical marijuana dispensary and marijuana establishment cooperatively in a shared location; and 2. Has not forfeited or terminated the nonprofit medical marijuana dispensary registration from the Department.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4745395; v0 updated 2025-12-08; through 12-08-2025).
Full Breakdown
040 opts Sahuarita out of hosting stand-alone recreational marijuana establishments, the retail, off-site cultivation, and off-site manufacturing licenses created under Arizona's recreational marijuana law. The prohibition is written 'to the fullest extent allowable by law,' language the town used because Arizona's marijuana statutes limit how far a municipality can go in blocking licensees that already hold a medical dispensary registration. The single opening the code leaves is the dual licensee exception: an operator that runs a nonprofit medical marijuana dispensary and a recreational marijuana establishment cooperatively in the same shared location, and that has not forfeited or terminated its medical dispensary registration with the state Department.
Lose that medical registration, and the recreational operation loses its legal basis to operate in town. 050 goes further and bars marijuana testing facilities outright, with no dual-licensee or any other exception. 010 is to prohibit retail sale, cultivation and manufacturing of marijuana in town except as allowed for personal, private use under state law.
Violations & Fines
Operating a marijuana establishment without the narrow dual-licensee exception falls under the town's general penalty, § 1.05.100: a class one misdemeanor punishable by up to a $2,500 fine, up to six months in jail, or both, or the town can instead pursue it as a civil offense capped at $500 per day. Each day the unlicensed establishment continues operating is a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a recreational marijuana dispensary open in Sahuarita?
What happens if a dual-licensee dispensary loses its medical registration?
Are marijuana testing labs allowed in Sahuarita?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Sahuarita
Compare Sahuarita to another location·View the Arizona cannabis regulations overview
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Dispensary Zoning in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Pima County handle dispensary zoning.