Industry Cannabis industry information for businesses including tips news and advice for dispensaries. Industry The Results Are In: Arizona Awards 31 Medical Marijuana Licenses Gage Peake In a scene reminiscent of theNBA draftor a bingo hall the Arizona Department of Health Services held a random selection on live webcast last week. The prize? One of the states few remainingnonprofit medical marijuana dispensary certificates. The health department received an overwhelming 747 applications during the July 18-29 application period but only 31 certificates were slated to be handed out last Thursday. Officials picked most of the recipientsbased on rules the departmentcreatedfive years ago making most selectionsthrough a winnowing process designed to place new dispensaries near thegreatest number of medicalcannabis patients.Nine of the 31 available certificates were selected via a random drawing. Each of the new dispensaries must be located within one of the states predetermined geographic areas for cannabis businesses. The random drawing was necessary because nine of the states so-called Community Health Analysis Areas used to determine the distribution of dispensaries across the state drew applicants that were so evenly matched that they were considered ties. To break the ties adepartment officialandtwo local accountants oversaw a lottery-style selection process. Members of the Arizona Department of Health Sciences during the lottery selection of nice licenses. Photo fromthe Arizona Department of Health Services About 20 people showed up for the proceedings held in a small auditorium at the DHS headquarters just south of Van Buren Street on 18th Avenue in Phoenix. Most of the 747 applicants went home disappointed not to mention a little lighter in the wallet. Of the certificates $5000 application fee $4000 is nonrefundable. Some of the newly licensed businesses could have their stores open within a few monthsRyan Hurly a lawyer who represents dispensariestoldthe Phoenix New Times. Voters approved a medical marijuana measure in 2010 and today date Arizona is home to 99 dispensaries that legallysell cannabis products to the states 100000 registered patients. The latest round of license applications brought in roughly$3 million. The money goes into the states medical marijuana fund. Nearly all the new dispensaries will be in thePhoenix or Tucson metro areas which couldmake them some of the busiest retail stores in the stateif voters approveProp. 205 which would legalize cannabis for all adults over 21. Heres a complete list of the recently awarded licenses: Rank CHAA Name CHAA ID Allocated Application ID 1 Paradise Valley Village 46 AZDS000001267 2 North Mountain 52 AZDS000001240 3 Deer Valley 44 AZDS000001272 4 Chandler SE 80 AZDS000001162 5 Scottsdale N 40 AZDS000001307 6 Camelback E 56 AZDS000001185 7 Peoria 41 AZDS000001276 8 Gilbert E 77 AZDS000001481 9 Mesa E 65 AZDS000001204 10 Scottsdale S 58 AZDS000001089 11 Surprise 47 AZDS000001497 12 Tanque Verde 106 AZDS000001289 13 Tucson NE 105 AZDS000001015 14 Tempe N 68 AZDS000001010 15 Mesa W 69 AZDS000001229 16 Tempe S 74 AZDS000001239 17 Maryvale 60 AZDS000001352 18 Alhambra 59 AZDS000001359 19 Yavapai Co. NE 26 AZDS000001514 20 Superior/Kearny 93 AZDS000001438 21 Chandler NW 79 AZDS000001051 22 Tucson E Central 109 AZDS000000986 23 South Mountain 71 AZDS000001360 24 Glendale N 45 AZDS000001034 25 Desert View/North Gateway 42 AZDS000000842 26 Mesa Central 70 AZDS000000948 27 Ahwatukee Foothills 78 AZDS000001271 28 Maricopa Co. W 51 AZDS000001233 29 Lake Havasu City 8 AZDS000001508 30 Mesa S 73 AZDS000001075 31 Apache Junction 92 AZDS000001248 ArizonaIndustrylicensesMedical Gage Peake Gage Peake is a staff writer who specializes in breaking news coverage politics and sports. Related Articles Arizona School Officials Endorse Prop. 205 Its Official: Legalization Measure Makes the Arizona Ballot Goodbye Grape Ape: Oregon Bans Kid-Friendly Strain Names Politics Fentanyl Maker Insys is Running CBD Clinical Trials Politics Florida and Arizona Democrats are Backing Legalization Politics Alaska's Cannabis Market Just Waiting on Testing Labs Politics Connecticut Wants Researchers to Study Its Medical Marijuana The post The Results Are In: Arizona Awards 31 Medical Marijuana Licenses appeared first on Leafly. by Gage Peake at Leafly