Arizona Medicinal Marijuana Storage Requirements
Posted by Safe & Vault on Jul 16, 2014
On November 2nd, 2010, the citizens of the state of Arizona approved by 50.13% of voters to enact Proposition 203, or the “Arizona Medical Marijuana Act.” Arizona based its approval of the proposition on seven key factors. These can be located in the “Findings” segment of Proposition 203, and include the following;
- Marijuana has recorded medical uses that go historically back 5,000 years. Modern medical research has found beneficial uses for marijuana in the treatment of pain, nausea, and loss of appetite, and other symptoms as documented by the National Academy of Sciences Institute of Medicine in March of 1999.
- Marijuana has been shown to alleviate pain and other symptoms that other drug therapies do not.
- There are many accepted medical uses, and marijuana is prescribed to 260,000 patients nationally (at the time of the bill.)
- 99% of arrests made for marijuana are done so under state, not federal law. Legalizing marijuana would protect the citizen of Arizona from state prosecution.
- Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Vermont, Rhode Island, and Washington had already passed medical marijuana legislations.
- States are not required to enforce federal law, or prosecute federally prohibited activities. Therefor, Arizona is not in violation of the Constitution.
- There is a clear designation between medical and non-medical uses for marijuana. This proposition is the distinguish and protect users of state sanctioned medical marijuana.
Marijuana is a Schedule I narcotic as defined by the Federal Drug Administration. Arizona, (as well as all states currently providing medicinal or recreational protections for their citizens), adheres to the laws established federally by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Regulations under Title 21 of the Code of Federal Regulations Part 1301 specify that, in the instance of small amounts of the drug permit, a safe or steel cabinet may be used. The safe or cabinet must provide;
- 30 man -minutes against surreptitious entry
- 10 man-minutes against forced entry
- 20 man-hours against lock manipulation
- 20 man-hours against radiological techniques
The Code also states that if a safe or steel cabinet weighs less than 750 lbs., it must be bolted or cemented to the floor in such a way that it cannot be removed. Depending on the quantity and type of the substance(s) being stored, the safe or cabinet must be equipped with an alarm system which, upon attempted break-in, shall transmit a signal directly to a central protection company or State police agency which has a legal duty to respond, or a 24-hour control station operated by the registrant, or such other protection.
Practitioners, non-practitioners and licensed Arizona doctors, specializing in cannabinoid medicine may be subject to ensuring DEA Approved Safes and security alarm systems are in place and in compliance with DEA requirements and regulations.