Cannabis Concentrate Regulations in Arizona

This article is general information, not legal advice. Laws change; check current rules with official sources or a lawyer.

Legal status overview

Cannabis concentrates—including hash, kief, wax, shatter, rosin, live resin, distillate, and vape cartridges—are legal in Arizona for two groups: registered medical patients under the Arizona Medical Marijuana Act (AMMA, 2010) ^[1] and adults 21+ under the Smart and Safe Arizona Act (Proposition 207, effective November 30, 2020) ^[2][3].

Both programs require concentrates to be produced and sold only by licensed dispensaries (called 'marijuana establishments' under Prop 207). Concentrates purchased outside the licensed system—including from out-of-state dispensaries, even those in legal states—remain illegal to possess or transport into Arizona. A.R.S. § 36-2852(B) and § 36-2856 restrict possession to products from state-licensed sources ^[3].

Possession limits for adults 21+

Under A.R.S. § 36-2852, an adult 21 or older may possess up to one ounce (28.35 g) of marijuana, of which no more than five grams may be in the form of marijuana concentrate ^[3].

The statute defines 'marijuana concentrate' as the resin extracted from any part of the cannabis plant and every compound, manufacture, salt, derivative, mixture, or preparation of that resin ^[3]. This definition includes hash, rosin, and the cannabis oil inside vape cartridges.

Possession of more than one ounce but not more than 2.5 ounces (retaining the 5 g concentrate sub-cap) is a petty offense—a civil-style penalty rather than a criminal charge—under A.R.S. § 36-2853(A) ^[3]. Above 2.5 ounces, criminal penalties under Arizona Title 13 apply, with possession of more than 2.5 ounces but less than 10 ounces charged as a class 6 felony ^[3].

The 5-gram cap applies to the total weight of concentrate products, regardless of form. For vape cartridges, only the cannabis oil counts toward this limit, not the hardware weight ^[3] Weak / limited.

Possession limits for medical patients

Registered qualifying patients may possess up to 2.5 ounces of usable marijuana in any 14-day period under A.R.S. § 36-2801 ^[1]. Arizona's Supreme Court held in State v. Jones (2019) that 'marijuana' under the AMMA includes resin and concentrates, so patients are protected when possessing extracts within the 2.5-ounce limit ^[4].

Under the medical law, there is no separate concentrate sub-limit as there is for adult-use consumers. A patient can possess all 2.5 ounces as concentrate if they choose. Before Jones, some county prosecutors charged patients with felony narcotics possession for possessing hash or vape cartridges; that practice conflicted with the court's holding that concentrates are protected under the AMMA ^[4][5].

Home extraction and manufacturing

Both Prop 207 and the AMMA explicitly prohibit home production of concentrates using volatile solvents such as butane, propane, hexane, or ether. A.R.S. § 36-2853(B) makes it a class 6 felony to 'possess, transport, or process marijuana using a substance other than water or lawful nonvolatile solvent if the resulting product is intended for human consumption' outside of a licensed facility ^[3]. This prohibition applies to both medical patients and adults.

Non-solvent extraction methods—dry sift, ice water hash, and rosin pressing using heat and mechanical pressure—are not prohibited by the volatile-solvent statute. However, the finished product still counts toward your possession limit (5 grams for adults, 2.5 ounces in 14 days for patients). Selling or gifting extract—whether homemade or purchased—beyond the recipient's statutory limit is illegal; A.R.S. § 36-2854 prohibits sale or distribution outside the licensed system ^[3].

Licensed production and testing requirements

ADHS regulates licensed manufacturers under the Arizona Administrative Code, Title 9, Chapter 17 (medical) and Chapter 18 (adult-use) ^[6][7]. Key rules for concentrates:

• Extraction facilities must be ADHS-approved and meet local fire, building, and environmental codes.
• Testing: All concentrates sold at retail must be tested by an ADHS-certified independent laboratory for potency (THC and CBD content), residual solvents (if applicable), pesticides, heavy metals, microbials, and mycotoxins before sale ^[7].
• Labeling: Packages must disclose THC and CBD percentage by weight, batch/lot number, date of manufacture, and standard health warnings (e.g., not for sale to minors, not while pregnant/nursing, impaired-driving warning).
• Edibles: Cannabis-infused edibles (including concentrate-infused) are capped at 10 mg THC per serving and 100 mg THC per package under 9 A.A.C. § 18-1-2 ^[7].

Retail prices and markups are not set by ADHS; licensed dispensaries set their own retail pricing. Packaging must be opaque, resealable, and child-resistant.

Public consumption, driving, and employment

Smoking or vaporizing cannabis—including concentrate vapes—in any public place or open space remains illegal under A.R.S. § 36-2851 ^[3]. Violation is a class B misdemeanor. Public consumption includes parks, streets, and vehicles.

Driving: Driving under the influence of cannabis is a DUI offense under A.R.S. § 28-1381 ^[3]. Arizona is not a per-se THC state for medical patients after Dobson v. McClennen (2015), meaning the presence of THC metabolites alone does not constitute impairment; however, impairment-based DUI prosecution still applies. Concentrate use and impairment are treated the same as flower for DUI purposes.

Employment: Employers may still enforce drug-free workplace policies and test for cannabis metabolites under A.R.S. § 23-493 et seq. Prop 207 did not create employment protections for cannabis users. Concentrate users have the same employment exposure as flower users; employers can lawfully refuse hire or terminate based on positive tests.

Federal law and airport/federal facility transport

All cannabis concentrates containing more than 0.3% delta-9 THC by dry weight remain Schedule I controlled substances under the federal Controlled Substances Act, regardless of Arizona state law. This affects banking (many financial institutions remain unwilling to serve cannabis businesses), firearms purchases (ATF Form 4473 question 21g disqualifies cannabis users), federal employment, federally subsidized housing, and student loan eligibility under federal aid programs.

The TSA's public position is that suspected cannabis will be referred to local law enforcement ^[8]. At Arizona airports (Sky Harbor in Phoenix, Tucson International), TSA application of this policy depends on local Phoenix and Tucson enforcement interpretation of Arizona law. Possession within state limits (5 grams for adults) would not violate Arizona law, but TSA referral and search remain possible. On federal property and in federal airspace, federal law applies; possession of any amount above 0.3% THC is a federal offense, though federal prosecution of small amounts is uncommon.

Recent changes and timeline

• May 28, 2019: Arizona Supreme Court decided State v. Jones, confirming that AMMA concentrates are legal for qualifying patients ^[4].
• November 3, 2020: Proposition 207 (Smart and Safe Arizona Act) passed with 60% of the vote, legalizing adult-use cannabis and concentrates ^[2].
• November 30, 2020: Prop 207 took effect; possession of concentrates became legal for adults 21+.
• January 22, 2021: First adult-use concentrate sales began after ADHS issued early retail licenses ^[2].
• Ongoing: ADHS periodically updates testing standards, labeling rules, and approved equipment in 9 A.A.C. 18. Check the current Arizona Administrative Code and ADHS website before relying on specific technical requirements or limits.

Information last verified: 30 October 2026. Statutes and administrative rules change; verify current language on the Arizona Legislature website (azleg.gov) and the ADHS Medical Marijuana and Marijuana Program pages before acting on this information.

Sources

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