County Will Let Marijuana Offenders Off the Hook If They Get a Card After Arrest
Anyone who gets arrested in Maricopa County on a simple marijuana possession charge can apply for a medical marijuana card to avoid prosecution, according to new rules by County Attorney Allister Adel.
“In cases where the defendant was not in compliance with the AMMA [Arizona Medical Marijuana Act] at the time of the crime solely because the person did not have a valid medical marijuana card, MCAO will dismiss a charge involving any crime covered by the AMMA if the defendant obtains a medical marijuana card and provides proof by the IPTC,” the new rules say.
The IPTC is the initial pretrial conference hearing, which could be scheduled up to 45 days after an arrest — which leaves plenty of time to get a medical card.