New statistics show that Arizona now ranks among the 10 best states for marijuana lovers to live.
Currently, Arizona only permits the consumption of marijuana when prescribed by a doctor. However, residents will be able to vote in November to make the recreational use of the drug legal.
According to a study conducted by Estately.com, “[Arizona] has the 11th-cheapest weed prices, the 10th-most cannabis-related Google searches, the fifth-most expressed interest in various marijuana publications on Facebook, and the 15th most pot smokers — 6.61%.”
While over half (57%) of adults in the U.S. have never lived outside their home state, Dr. Elaine Burns of the Southwest Medical Marijuana Evaluation Center says that access to medical marijuana is a motivating factor for some people to move to Arizona.
“I do know of situations where parents who have children with epilepsy or cancer have relocated to Arizona or another medical-marijuana state so they could get treatment for their children,” Burns says.
The price for medical marijuana is also a contributing factor to the number of people relocating to Arizona. The state has a relatively low cannabis cost compared to others. In fact, the average cost of an ounce of high-quality medical marijuana in Arizona is $298.15, while the average price in the United States as a whole is $317.50.
The state of Arizona is planning to award more licenses in order to add a number of marijuana dispensaries. There are currently 99 licensed medical marijuana dispensaries in the state, and as many as 97% of residents live within 25 miles of an operating dispensary. As of right now, almost 95,000 people have cards allowing them to use medical marijuana in Arizona.