Ariz. Medical Marijuana Applicants Await Lottery

The Arizona Department of Health Services is set to hold a much-anticipated lottery today to select medical marijuana dispensaries across the state.

The Arizona Republic reported state officials have decided to move forward with licensing the dispensaries even as 13 county attorneys have urged Gov. Jan Brewer to halt the process. The highly controversial lottery is scheduled for today.

Arizona health officials received 486 medical marijuana dispensary applications from individuals or businesses that want to set up shop in 99 of the state’s 126 designated dispensary areas.

The state received more than one application for 75 of the 99 areas, so health officials will randomly select dispensary winners. Health officials will assign a number to each corresponding lottery ball, and a registration certificate will be provided when an applicant’s dispensary-agent cards are issued.