How Arizona's Marijuana Industry Is Growing, Evolving

By Lauren Gilger
Published: Wednesday, June 2, 2021 - 11:13am
Updated: Thursday, June 3, 2021 - 1:50pm

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Young marijuana plants at Copperstate Farms
Tim Agne/KJZZ
Young marijuana plants at Copperstate Farms in Snowflake, Arizona, in 2019.

The marijuana industry in Arizona is changing — and growing.

In the first three months of this year, the total sales of both medical and recreational marijuana topped $230 million, according to the Arizona Republic. That adds up to $32 million in taxes that the state has collected from those sales.

Now that recreational marijuana is legal here, it’s also being marketed differently.

No longer are we talking about "Pineapple Express" as the face of cannabis. Now, there are elevated cannabis dinner experiences and marijuana wellness retreats. The Maricopa County Community College District is even offering formalized cannabis industry classes now.

MJ Stapley is an expert who’s teaching in one of those new programs. Stapley is the founder and CEO of MJ Hybrid Solutions and an instructor in GateWay Community College’s cannabis business program. The Show spoke with her about how the cannabis industry here is growing up.

EDITOR'S NOTE: KJZZ is licensed to the Maricopa County Community College District.

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