By Mark Carlisle | Your Valley
Tempe won’t be diving headfirst into the world of recreational marijuana. It wants to dip its toe in and test the water first.
Tempe City Council is approaching the legalization of recreational marijuana after Arizonans approved Proposition 207 at the polls last month the same way it did legalization of medical marijuana a decade ago: start off restrictive and ease regulations as deemed necessary in the future.
This philosophy for the moment applies namely to regulations requiring dispensaries to be a mile apart that, if eased, would allow for more dispensaries in the city. City staff asked council to consider reducing that distance, but councilors shot down the idea.
Attorney Adam Trenk, director of the Cannabis Department at the Rose Law Group, said about 90 medical dispensaries currently operate, and it is safe to assume all will get a license and co-locate a recreational dispensary with their medical one, thus about 55 new licenses will be available through ADHS.
