Arizona voters approve Proposition 207 (60.03% Yes) to legalize adult-use cannabis and launches sales in 73 days

On November 3, 2020, Arizona voters approved Proposition 207 (the Smart and Safe Arizona Act) by a margin of 60.03% Yes (1,956,440 votes) to 39.97% No (1,302,458 votes). Four years earlier, in 2016, Arizona’s Proposition 205 had failed by less than three percentage points (48.7% Yes); in 2020, support surged by more than 11 points.

What Proposition 207 legalized

• Possession and home cultivation: Taking effect upon official certification on November 30, 2020, Proposition 207 allowed adults 21 and older to possess up to 1 ounce of cannabis (with no more than 5 grams in concentrate form) and cultivate up to 6 plants per person (up to 12 plants in a household with two or more adults) in an enclosed, locked space.
• Record expungement: Starting July 12, 2021, individuals with past Arizona arrests or convictions for possessing up to 2.5 ounces of cannabis or growing up to 6 plants could petition the courts to have their records expunged at no cost.
• Record-fast retail launch: Because the Arizona Department of Health Services moved swiftly to issue dual licenses to existing medical dispensaries, recreational sales began on January 22, 2021—just 73 days after Election Day, the fastest transition from ballot vote to legal sales in U.S. history.

Photo: Adobe Stock. Stock photograph of a Yes vote on Proposition 207 in Phoenix, Arizona, October 9, 2020; not election-night coverage.