Arizona Medical Marijuana Law Excludes Hashish, Appeals Court Rules

PHOENIX (AP) — The Arizona Court of Appeals has ruled that hashish does not qualify as a protected drug under the state’s medical cannabis law.

The court’s ruling came Tuesday, June 26, 2018, in the case of Rodney Jones, a card holder in the state’s medical-marijuana program.

Police say he was found in possession of 0.05 ounces, or 1.42 grams, of hashish in a jar in March 2013. Hashish is extracted from marijuana plants, and is used in cannabis oils and other medical marijuana products.

Jones was appealing his conviction in the case on a count each of cannabis and drug paraphernalia possession.

The appeals court said Proposition 203, Arizona’s medical marijuana act as written and narrowly approved by 50.1 percent of voters in 2010, “is silent” on hashish.

Medical cannabis advocates called the ruling a major setback, and said they expected another appeal.