Maricopa County Attorney’s Office to begin dismissing marijuana charges

PHOENIX — The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office will begin dismissing marijuana possession and paraphernalia charges as early as Tuesday following the passage of Proposition 207.

MCAO said in a press release Monday that deputy county attorneys will start filing motions to dismiss all pending and unfiled charges starting Tuesday morning.

“Instead of continuing to spend resources on these cases, this office will begin implementing the will of the voters immediately,” MCAO said in the release.

The change comes less than a week after Arizona voters overwhelmingly approved Prop 207, which allows anyone 21 or older to legally have up to 1 ounce of cannabis.

The 16% tax on the sale of recreational marijuana will fund community colleges, public safety, public health programs and roads and highways.

There’s not a set timeline for when the proposition will formally go into effect and become law.

MCSO said it will first look to dismiss cases with court dates and those in custody.

If the charges make up the entirety of the case, the entire case will be dismissed, according to MCAO.

For cases that still have other charges, they will remain and the possession and paraphernalia charges will be dropped.

The legalization of marijuana in Arizona has been predicted to generate upwards of $300 million annually for the state.