This bill proposes to amend current statutes regarding the use of funds from the Medical Marijuana Fund for clinical trials. Under the current law, the Arizona Biomedical Research Center (ABRC) may provide up to $5,000,000 annually for five consecutive years shall provide $2,000,000 from the medical marijuana fund established by section 36-2817 to administer and award competitive grants pursuant to this section. The bill mandates that the ABRC shall provide an additional $2,000,000 by July 1, 2028, if the department determines the medical marijuana fund has at least two years of operational expenses and will not be at risk of a deficit or require an increase in registry identification card fees. Additionally, the bill introduces a requirement for the enactment of these changes, stating that section 36-2822, Arizona Revised Statutes, as amended by this act, is effective only on the affirmative vote of at least three-fourths of the members of each house of the legislature. This change emphasizes the necessity for legislative support for the funding of marijuana clinical trials, shifting from a permissive to a mandatory framework for the allocation of funds.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 36-2817, 36-2822, 15-1655, 36-1161, 36-3501, 36-2862, 36-2850, 36-2856, 2021-2022, 36-3291, 36-2812, 36-2803
Senate Engrossed Version: 36-2817, 36-2822, 15-1655, 36-1161, 36-3501, 36-2862, 36-2850, 36-2856, 2021-2022, 36-3291, 36-2812, 36-2803
House Engrossed Version: 36-2822