Grand Canyon Times

The Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) is responsible for licensing and regulating marijuana, marijuana retail sales, marijuana growth, and testing facilities in Arizona. This includes any licensed marijuana kitchens that manufacture edible products.

In 2010, Arizona voters legalized medical marijuana. In 2020, voters also legalized adult-use marijuana. Since then, ADHS has been tasked with holding both types of marijuana facilities accountable to state rules and regulations to ensure consumer safety.

State law prohibits the public release of identifiable information about medical marijuana facilities, including those with dual licenses for both medical and adult-use operations. Inspections related to the food permit of a marijuana facility are handled by ADHS Food Safety and can be accessed through a public records request. However, any identifying information about a medical marijuana kitchen must be removed as per state law.

ADHS inspects each licensed marijuana facility twice annually. These inspections are thorough investigations performed by ADHS surveyors that may take up to two hours to complete. Following each inspection, the facility receives a letter grade: E for excellent, S for satisfactory, N for needs improvement, or U for unsatisfactory. The grading is based on the number of foodborne illness risk factor violations and good manufacturing practices found during the inspection.

Serious violations are defined as those that put the health and safety of consumers or employees at risk. ADHS inspectors educate all licensees about the rules and regulations to bring facilities into compliance and prevent future violations.

"If an ADHS licensed facility has frequent priority violations that go uncorrected," states an official from ADHS, "the facility is in jeopardy of its license being revoked or suspended." The department ensures swift notification to consumers and media in cases of potential contamination of marijuana products.

Consumers purchasing either medical or adult-use marijuana have the right to request a certificate of analysis showing the product’s testing results. Products undergo tests for microbial contaminants, heavy metals, residual solvents, pesticides, fungicides, and growth regulators.

For more information about the ADHS's regulation program for marijuana kitchens, visit their website.