When Arizona voters legalized recreational marijuana in 2020, the measure also allowed some past offenses to be expunged.
But a Maricopa County deputy prosecutor has detailed challenges to starting that process in an Ohio State criminal journal.
Arizona’s Proposition 207 allows for certain old marijuana offenses to be erased.
The Ohio State article subtitled "Lessons from Maricopa County" says prosecutors file most of those requests, even though state rules bar submitting them in bulk. And it’s hard for prosecutors to identify qualifying cases because there’s no statewide convictions database.
Marijuana charges can be filed as either felonies or misdemeanors. But those records are not stored long term.
As of January 2024, the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office had filed nearly 23,000 expungement requests.
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October marks the start of a new term for the U.S. Supreme Court, and the justices are being urged to take up a case on marijuana and gun rights. -
Attorney General Kris Mayes cracked down on THC-infused products made from hemp. Now the hemp industry is suing and wants a judge to allow the products back on shelves while the lawsuit plays out. -
A new study found that more than half of patients prescribed medical marijuana for chronic musculoskeletal pain stopped using it within a year. -
Right now, cannabis dispensaries are forced to operate in cash because of federal regulations. Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes says that needs to change. -
After a hearing Friday, a Maricopa County Superior Court judge said he will decide next week whether to stop law enforcement from cracking down on certain hemp products while the case moves forward.
