Medical marijuana dispensary applications accepted starting Monday

PHOENIX - If you want to sell marijuana legally, the clock is ticking to turn in the paperwork.

Beginning Monday, those wishing to open a medical marijuana dispensary in Arizona can turn in their applications.

The window to do so closes on May 25.

The four-page application can be  found on the Arizona Department of Health Services website, along with a list of requirements.

Those include no felonies on your record, a clear plan for security and safety at the dispensary, adherence to zoning rules and a minimum age requirement of 21 years.

Arizona's rules for medical marijuana dispensaries -- approved by voters in November with a bare 51 percent of the vote -- are among the most stringent in the country.

Among other rules for the licenses: The pot shops must employ a licensed physician as a medical director, obtain a letter proving that they're in compliance with local zoning rules, and submit a business plan that shows they will operate as a nonprofit.

Then there is the $5,000 application fee and the preference that will be shown to those who can prove they have $150,000 in the bank.

Still, competition for the limited number of licenses to be issued statewide -- 125 -- is expected to be fierce.