High times for Tucson residents as Proposition 207 goes into effect

Proposition 207 officially went into effect as recreational marijuana sales began booming in Tucson last month.

Adults 21 and older can now legally own up to one ounce of marijuana with no more than five grams of marijuana concentrates. Individuals can also grow up to six marijuana plants in their dorms as long as they are in an enclosed area that is not open to the public.

The Harvest House of Cannabis, Bloom Dispensary, and Desert Bloom Re-Leaf Center are currently open for recreational sales. However, wait in line for a while.

Steve White is the co-founder and CEO of Harvest and has actively supported the Tucson site in preparing for recreational sales. The Arizona Department of Health accepted applications for marijuana business licenses on Jan. 19, and Harvest was more than ready to start selling.

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“We didn’t just file an application before 4 a.m. on Tuesday [Jan. 19]but we had all the staff ready and trained in case the approval came quickly, ”said White.

Harvest has dealt with very long lines since the recreational store opened, with some customers waiting in line for hours.

“Other operators will open up and be able to take some of the load off us, and then some of the excitement associated with the opportunity will dissipate a little,” White said. “It obviously depends on when you go like any other retail store, but right now there’s quite a demand for that store.”

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A senior at the University of Arizona recently purchased marijuana from Harvest for their leisure time and appreciated the quality of the product compared to the past.

“I realized that whatever I picked up was really of poor quality and it really didn’t do the job anymore,” said the student.

With dangerous cases like marijuana spiked with various drugs, people can now have more peace of mind knowing what they are using.

“It makes you feel much safer to smoke,” said the student. “When I buy from a pharmacy, I know I am getting quality and I know that it is free of anything that could possibly harm me.”

Mitch Vipond is the Tucson Police Department’s detective sergeant and has not seen any drastic changes from the implementation of recreational marijuana sales.

“The police are mainly concerned with sales,” said Vipond. “We’re not trying to get people into possession.”

While the TPD doesn’t have much to do with pharmacies, they encourage students and local residents to shop at pharmacies through the black market.

“Marijuana is still the most dangerous thing to buy and sell on the black market,” said Vipond. “You wouldn’t believe that, but it is.”

Vipond urged students to be “discreet” about possessing marijuana, as posting products on social media can have harmful effects.

“Don’t post anything on Facebook because someone will come and take it from you,” Vipond said. “Most house robberies happen because bad people find out they have marijuana.”

As for the future of marijuana legalization, there are still some hoops to jump through at the federal level.

“The problem is that pharmacies have a lot of problems with banks,” Vipond said. “The banks are governed by federal law, which also makes them targets as they are largely a cash business.”

With marijuana legalized at the federal level, banks can legally partner with pharmacies and only finish customers’ purchases with cash.

“The future for the cannabis business is just more mainstream adoption and then laws that begin to reflect what ordinary people believe about marijuana,” White said. “In general, laws fall short of what people want.”

According to the Pew Research Center, two-thirds of Americans are ready for marijuana legalization at the federal level. The future looks green for those who consume the product or would like to see taxes make a positive impact on their community.

“I think weeds will be legal in the US within four years, so Tucson is on the map as one of the precursors to recreational marijuana,” the student said. “It will only help the economy and the city grow.”

* Editor’s note: We have chosen to withhold the student’s identity upon request.

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