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2 Proposals To Regulate Medical Marijuana Fail In Arizona Senate

medical marijuana buds in glass jars
Claire Caulfield/KJZZ
/
file | staff
Medical marijuana buds in glass jars at a dispensary in Scottsdale.

The Arizona Senate narrowly rejected a bill that would have allowed surprise inspections of medical marijuana dispensaries.

Lawmakers decided to keep the current standards Monday, which require the state health department to give a dispensary notice before inspection.

Yuma Democrat Lisa Otondo was one of the “no” votes, citing concerns that Senate Bill 1222 contradicted the voter-approved measure that legalized medical marijuana in 2010.

Earlier in the session, the state Senate also rejected a bill that would have required medical marijuana be tested for possible carcinogens.

While that bill, Senate Bill 1137, did clinch a simple majority, by law it has to get approval from three quarters of lawmakers to change what voters passed.

Claire Caulfield was a reporter and Morning Edition producer at KJZZ from 2015 to 2019.