Arizona Proposition 207 created a state social equity ownership program with twenty-six licenses statewide for applicants from communities harmed by marijuana enforcement. Several Maricopa County recipients now operate, while county zoning still controls dispensary siting in unincorporated areas.
Proposition 207 (2020) directed the Arizona Department of Health Services to issue twenty-six social equity establishment licenses under ARS title 36, chapter 28.2. ADHS adopted Arizona Administrative Code R9-18-303 to set ownership criteria, including residency in disproportionately impacted ZIP codes, household-income limits, and prior cannabis convictions. The April 2022 lottery awarded all twenty-six licenses; several picked Maricopa County host sites in Phoenix, Mesa, Glendale, and unincorporated pockets. State law allows transfer of these licenses with ADHS approval. Maricopa County Title XIII zoning still requires a use permit, the 1320-foot school buffer in ARS section 36-2806, and a fixed retail address before ADHS issues a final certificate.
Operating a social equity dispensary without ADHS certification or outside the approved address risks license revocation, civil penalties up to fifty thousand dollars per violation, and class six felony charges under ARS section 36-2853.
Surprise, AZ
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Surprise, AZ
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Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in Maricopa County.
See how Surprise's social equity licensing rules stack up against other locations.
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