The Arizona Supreme Court recently ruled to legalize cannabis extracts and concentrates under the Arizona Medical Marijuana Act, expanding patients’ access to medicinal products and protecting their right to use them without fear of felony charges.
The ruling allows the thousands of Arizonans with a medical marijuana card to continue to purchase cannabis from a state licensed dispensary in any form, including medically effective extracts and concentrates.
Not only does this show great strides toward progress on the state level but also a deepened understanding about the medicinal applications of cannabis and the patients who use it.
Compared to cannabis in raw plant form, concentrates can be used to produce, for example, tinctures and topicals, etc. to target specific conditions. In this form, they can provide a more exact dosing along with a variety of concentrations to provide specific relief for patients with mild to severe symptoms such as seizures, chronic pain, migraines, and cancer.
The range of consumption methods means patients are not limited to smoking their medicine. In fact, most patients use concentrates because it expands their options with edibles, tinctures and topicals.
This ruling will provide security for patients who have found symptom relief through medical marijuana extracts and allow for other consumers to explore this therapeutic treatment option.
Manufacturers can continue to produce medical grade products while researchers develop condition-specific formulas and conduct medical case studies.
There is no one type of patient. Medical marijuana has helped with seizures, arthritis, anxiety, opioid recovery and even symptoms of PTSD. With this ruling, consumers will have the opportunity to explore different treatment options and find relief through formulas that are rooted in science.
Dr. Elaine Burns, an Arizona-licensed and board-certified Naturopathic Medical Doctor (NMD) has been instrumental in building an ethical, highly-professional medical marijuana industry in Arizona since 2011. As the state’s first Certified Expert in Cannabis Medicine, Dr. Burns has been integral in setting professional standards within Arizona’s medical marijuana community.
