Arizona Cannabis Advertising Laws
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TL;DR
Arizona requires one warning statement, reproduced verbatim, occupying at least ten percent of the advertising area in black font on a white background. It requires at least 73.6 percent of the audience to be expected to be 21 or older for electronic, social media and website advertising. It prohibits advertising the potency or tetrahydrocannabinol levels of a product, prohibits advertising at airports and on public transit, and prohibits billboards within 1,000 radial feet of six named location types. The statute was substantially amended effective July 1, 2026.
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Arizona Cannabis Advertising Summary
Is Cannabis Advertising Legal in Arizona?
Legal for marijuana establishments, nonprofit medical marijuana dispensaries, and, from July 1, 2026, individuals and entities that sell marijuana paraphernalia. Section 36-2859 contains no pre-approval requirement. The constraints are the warning and format requirements at (D) and (F), the audience threshold at (C)(3), the content prohibitions at (C)(1) and (C)(4), and the placement prohibitions at (C)(2) and (E).
Legal Framework and Compliance Basics
Advertising is governed by A.R.S. §36-2859, administered by the Arizona Department of Health Services. Adult-use cannabis was authorised by Proposition 207 and medical cannabis by Proposition 203. The ADHS rules at Arizona Administrative Code Title 9, Chapter 18 implement the statute and contain no separate advertising rule.
Medical and adult-use cannabis share one advertising rule set. Section 36-2859 addresses marijuana establishments and nonprofit medical marijuana dispensaries together, and from July 1, 2026 also addresses individuals and entities that sell marijuana paraphernalia.
Enforcement runs through the Attorney General as well as the Department. The civil penalty for unlicensed advertising is $20,000 per violation under §36-2859(H).
Amendments effective July 1, 2026. House Bill 2179, Chapter 166, Laws 2025, signed May 12, 2025 and effective from and after June 30, 2026, amended §36-2859. Because it altered a voter-protected measure it required a three-fourths vote of each house. The amendment added the mandatory warning, the 73.6 percent audience threshold, the prohibition on advertising THC potency, the transit and airport prohibitions, the 1,000 radial foot billboard buffer including churches, the platform authorisation and disclosure duty, coverage of paraphernalia sellers and intoxicating cannabinoids, the 14 day cure period, and the exception at (M) removing established-customer and opted-in communications from the definition of advertising.
This page is part of our state-by-state cannabis advertising laws library, covering all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Advertising Rules by Channel in Arizona
Requirements That Apply to Every Channel
Business name and licence number
Required. Under §36-2859(F), an advertising platform may host advertising only if it is authorised by a licensee and accurately and legibly identifies that licensee by name and licence or registration number. The provision is written as a condition on the platform.
The required warning statement
One. It must appear verbatim:
"Do not use marijuana if you are under twenty-one years of age or pregnant. Keep marijuana out of reach of children."
How the warning has to appear
Under §36-2859(D), all printed warnings must occupy at least ten percent of the advertising area and be in black font on a white background. For billboards, the warning must be in a type size at least ten percent of the largest type used in the advertisement.
Arizona has a separate, longer warning statement beginning "ARIZONA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH SERVICES' WARNING" in the ADHS rules. That statement applies to labelling and packaging. Section 36-2859(D) prescribes the advertising warning quoted above.
When the warning is not required
Under §36-2859(M), advertising does not include a communication targeted only to the established customer base, or requested by a customer or potential customer through an opt-in with an age affirmation. A communication within (M) is not advertising, so the requirements at (C), (D) and (F) do not attach to it.
Hotline number
No. Arizona requires no helpline, hotline or poison control number. The statement at (D) is the complete required set.
Prohibited content
Under §36-2859(C)(1), advertising may not be directed to individuals under 21 years of age, including advertising that uses:
- Names resembling or imitating food or drink brands marketed to children — (C)(1)(a)
- Images or likenesses of toys, cartoons, or animated or fictional characters, including Santa Claus, designed to appeal to or encourage consumption by individuals under 21 — (C)(1)(b)
- Images or visual representations of the consumption of marijuana — (C)(1)(c)
- The potency or tetrahydrocannabinol levels of the product — (C)(1)(d)
- Placement in a medium that specifically appeals to individuals under 21 such that it has a special attractiveness beyond a general attractiveness for adults — (C)(1)(e)
Under (C)(4), no health-related statement or statement regarding the effects of marijuana consumption on health that is known to be untrue.
Discounts, coupons, and price promotion
Section 36-2859 contains no price advertising or discount provision. Three requirements apply to an offer: it may not reference potency or THC levels under (C)(1)(d); it may not be directed to individuals under 21 under (C)(1); and if placed electronically, on social media or on a website it is subject to the 73.6 percent threshold at (C)(3). Separately, A.R.S. §36-2854 prohibits free product samples to adult-use customers.
Age affirmation for direct communication
Under §36-2859(G), any advertising involving direct, individualized communication or dialogue must use a method of age affirmation verifying that the recipient is at least 21 years of age before engaging. The statute names user confirmation, birth date disclosure, or other similar registration methods.
Enforcement and the cure period
No pre-approval is required. Under §36-2859(I), a licensee notified of a violation by the Department or the Attorney General has fourteen days to comply, and thirty days for billboard removal. Where circumstances beyond the billboard operator's control prevent removal, the advertisement must be removed as soon as safely and legally practicable.
Arizona Display Advertising Laws
Arizona writes no display-specific rule. Section 36-2859(C)(3) permits electronic advertising subject to the audience threshold rather than prohibiting it.
What is allowed
Paid display, including programmatic, where at least 73.6 percent of the audience is expected to be at least 21 years of age, under (C)(3).
What is not allowed
- Electronic advertising where less than 73.6 percent of the audience is expected to be at least 21 — (C)(3)
- Advertising the potency or tetrahydrocannabinol levels of the product — (C)(1)(d)
- Images or visual representations of the consumption of marijuana — (C)(1)(c)
- The remaining content prohibitions at (C)(1) and (C)(4)
Required warnings and disclosures
Business name and licence or registration number under (F), and the warning at ten percent of the advertising area in black font on a white background under (D). See Requirements That Apply to Every Channel above.
Hotline number required
No.
Discounts and promotions on this channel
No price advertising restriction. Subject to the potency prohibition at (C)(1)(d) and the prohibition on free samples at A.R.S. §36-2854.
Closing note
Section 36-2859(D) requires the warning to occupy at least ten percent of the advertising area, not a fixed type size. Size the creative around that proportion before committing production.
Arizona Native Advertising Laws
Arizona writes no native-specific rule. Subsection (C)(1)(e) addresses the medium in which advertising is placed, which applies to the host environment of a native unit.
What is allowed
Native and sponsored content where at least 73.6 percent of the audience is expected to be at least 21, under (C)(3).
What is not allowed
- Placement in a medium that specifically appeals to individuals under 21 such that it has a special attractiveness beyond a general attractiveness for adults — (C)(1)(e)
- Electronic advertising below the 73.6 percent threshold — (C)(3)
- Advertising potency or tetrahydrocannabinol levels — (C)(1)(d)
- The remaining content prohibitions at (C)(1) and (C)(4)
Required warnings and disclosures
Name and licence or registration number under (F), and the warning at ten percent of the advertising area in black on white under (D). See Requirements That Apply to Every Channel above.
Hotline number required
No.
Discounts and promotions on this channel
No price advertising restriction. Subject to the potency prohibition.
Closing note
The ten percent warning area at (D) applies to native units as to any other printed advertisement. Confirm the unit dimensions can carry it before booking.
Arizona Online Video (OLV) Advertising Laws
Arizona writes no video-specific rule. Subsection (D) prescribes treatments for printed warnings and for billboards, and prescribes no audio standard.
What is allowed
Pre-roll, mid-roll and in-feed video where at least 73.6 percent of the audience is expected to be at least 21, under (C)(3).
What is not allowed
- Images or visual representations of the consumption of marijuana — (C)(1)(c)
- The potency or tetrahydrocannabinol levels of the product, whether spoken or on screen — (C)(1)(d)
- Images or likenesses of toys, cartoons, or animated or fictional characters, including Santa Claus, designed to appeal to or encourage consumption by individuals under 21 — (C)(1)(b)
- Electronic advertising below the 73.6 percent threshold — (C)(3)
Required warnings and disclosures
Name and licence or registration number under (F), and the warning verbatim. Section 36-2859(D) prescribes the printed and billboard treatments. See Requirements That Apply to Every Channel above.
Hotline number required
No.
Discounts and promotions on this channel
No price advertising restriction. Subject to the potency prohibition.
Closing note
Section 36-2859(D) prescribes a treatment for printed warnings and a treatment for billboards. It does not prescribe an audio treatment and does not state whether a spoken warning satisfies the subsection. Confirm the position with the Department before producing video that relies on audio delivery.
Arizona Connected TV (CTV) Advertising Laws
Arizona writes no CTV-specific rule. CTV is delivered electronically, and (C)(3) applies to electronic advertising.
What is allowed
CTV and OTT placements where at least 73.6 percent of the audience is expected to be at least 21, under (C)(3). Section 36-2859 imposes no daypart restriction.
What is not allowed
- Electronic advertising below the 73.6 percent threshold — (C)(3)
- Images or visual representations of the consumption of marijuana — (C)(1)(c)
- Advertising potency or tetrahydrocannabinol levels — (C)(1)(d)
- The remaining content prohibitions at (C)(1) and (C)(4)
Required warnings and disclosures
Name and licence or registration number under (F), and the warning on screen at ten percent of the advertising area in black on white under (D).
Hotline number required
No.
Discounts and promotions on this channel
No price advertising restriction. Subject to the potency prohibition.
Closing note
The standard at (C)(3) is what the audience is expected to be. Obtain and retain the audience composition data supporting that expectation from the media partner before the flight starts.
Arizona Paid Search Advertising Laws
Arizona writes no rule specific to paid search. Search advertising is electronic advertising and is subject to (C)(3).
What is allowed
Search advertising under state law where at least 73.6 percent of the audience is expected to be at least 21, under (C)(3).
What is not allowed
- Electronic advertising below the 73.6 percent threshold — (C)(3)
- Advertising potency or tetrahydrocannabinol levels — (C)(1)(d)
- The remaining content prohibitions at (C)(1) and (C)(4)
Required warnings and disclosures
Name and licence or registration number under (F), and the warning at ten percent of the advertising area in black on white under (D). Section 36-2859 provides no exemption for character-limited formats.
Hotline number required
No.
Discounts and promotions on this channel
No price advertising restriction. Subject to the potency prohibition.
Arizona SEO and Website Advertising Laws
Subsection (C)(3) reaches advertising on a website, which includes a licensee's own website. Subsection (C)(1)(d) prohibits advertising the potency or tetrahydrocannabinol levels of a product and is not limited to paid media.
What is allowed
A licensee's own website, menus and organic content, subject to the 73.6 percent expectation at (C)(3) and the content prohibitions at (C)(1).
What is not allowed
- Advertising the potency or tetrahydrocannabinol levels of the product — (C)(1)(d)
- Website advertising where less than 73.6 percent of the audience is expected to be at least 21 — (C)(3)
- Images or visual representations of the consumption of marijuana — (C)(1)(c)
- Health-related statements known to be untrue — (C)(4)
Required warnings and disclosures
Name and licence or registration number under (F), and the warning at ten percent of the advertising area in black on white under (D) on advertising content.
Hotline number required
No.
Discounts and promotions on this channel
No price advertising restriction. Subject to the potency prohibition at (C)(1)(d).
Closing note
Subsection (C)(1)(d) prohibits advertising potency or tetrahydrocannabinol levels and is not written as applying only to paid placement. Section 36-2859 does not state how an owned property demonstrates the 73.6 percent audience expectation required by (C)(3). Take advice on published menu content before publishing potency figures.
Arizona Out of Home and DOOH Advertising Laws
Section 36-2859(D) prescribes a warning treatment specific to billboards, and (E) sets a buffer specific to billboard advertisements.
What is allowed
Billboards, including digital billboards, outside the buffer at (E). Section 36-2859 does not prohibit billboard advertising and prescribes a billboard-specific warning treatment at (D).
What is not allowed
- A billboard advertisement within 1,000 radial feet of any child care center, church, substance abuse recovery facility, public park, public playground, or public or private school providing instruction in preschool or kindergarten or any of grades one through twelve — (E)
- Advertising at, on or within public airports, public transportation shelters, public buses, public trains, public shuttles or public trams — (C)(2)
- The content prohibitions at (C)(1) and (C)(4)
Required warnings and disclosures
Name and licence or registration number under (F). On billboards, the warning must be in a type size at least ten percent of the largest type used in the advertisement, under (D).
Hotline number required
No.
Discounts and promotions on this channel
No price advertising restriction. Subject to the potency prohibition.
Closing note
The buffer at (E) is measured in radial feet, meaning a straight-line radius. Build circular exclusions rather than route-based ones. Under (I), an operator notified of a buffer violation has thirty days to comply, and where circumstances beyond the billboard operator's control prevent removal, the advertisement must be removed as soon as safely and legally practicable.
Platform Specific Advertising Restrictions
X (formerly Twitter)
Permits limited paid cannabis advertising in select U.S. jurisdictions subject to approval, licensing verification and 21-plus targeting.
Platform approval is not regulatory approval, and platform compliance does not protect against a state placement violation. Arizona places a direct duty on the media owner: under §36-2859(F), an advertising platform may host cannabis advertising only if it is authorised by a licensee, accurately and legibly identifies that licensee by name and licence or registration number, and contains a printed warning complying with (D).
Audience Requirements for Cannabis Advertising in Arizona
What the Law Requires
The age is 21 throughout. Under §36-2859(C)(1), advertising may not be directed to individuals under 21 years of age. The mandatory warning at (D) states the age limit in every advertisement.
Audience Percentage Thresholds
73.6 percent for electronic, social media and website advertising
Under §36-2859(C)(3), a licensee may not advertise electronically, via social media, or on a website unless at least 73.6 percent of the audience is expected to be at least 21 years of age.
73.6 percent for sporting event sponsorship
Under (C)(5), a licensee may not sponsor a sporting event unless at least 73.6 percent of the audience is expected to be at least 21 years of age, or the sponsored organization provides written approval. The two conditions are alternatives. Subsection (C)(5) addresses sporting events; §36-2859 sets no threshold for other event types.
What the threshold covers
Subsection (C)(3) names electronic advertising, social media and websites. Print and direct mail are not named. The statute does not define "electronically" and does not state whether terrestrial broadcast falls within it.
Where the burden sits
On the licensee. Subsection (C)(3) is framed as a prohibition on the licensee advertising unless the stated audience expectation is met.
Age Gating and Consent
Direct communication
Under §36-2859(G), advertising involving direct, individualized communication or dialogue must use a method of age affirmation verifying the recipient is at least 21 years of age before engaging. The statute names user confirmation, birth date disclosure, or other similar registration methods.
The opt-in exception
Under (M), advertising does not include a communication targeted only to the established customer base, or requested by a customer or potential customer through an opt-in with an age affirmation.
Websites
Section 36-2859 prescribes no specific website age gate. Subsection (C)(3) applies the 73.6 percent audience expectation to advertising on a website.
Location-based devices
Section 36-2859 contains no location-based device provision.
People Depicted in Ads
Under §36-2859(C)(1)(b), no images or likenesses of toys, cartoons, or animated or fictional characters, including Santa Claus, designed to appeal to or encourage consumption by individuals under 21. Under (C)(1)(c), no images or visual representations of the consumption of marijuana.
Section 36-2859 sets no minimum age for persons appearing in advertising.
Geo Targeting Rules for Cannabis Advertising in Arizona
Restricted Locations and Buffer Distances
The 1,000 radial foot billboard buffer
Under §36-2859(E), a billboard advertisement is prohibited within one thousand radial feet of any child care center, church, substance abuse recovery facility, public park, public playground, or public or private school providing instruction in preschool or kindergarten or any of grades one through twelve.
How the distance is measured
Radial feet, meaning a straight-line radius.
Scope
Subsection (E) is written for billboard advertisements. Section 36-2859 applies no equivalent buffer to other channels.
Facility types named
Six: child care center, church, substance abuse recovery facility, public park, public playground, and public or private school providing instruction in preschool, kindergarten or grades one through twelve.
Transit, Airports, and Public Property
Under §36-2859(C)(2), no advertising at, on or within public airports, public transportation shelters, public buses, public trains, public shuttles or public trams. Section 36-2859 contains no general prohibition on advertising on publicly owned or operated property beyond these named venues.
Can You Run a Digital Out of Home Screen in Arizona?
Section 36-2859 does not prohibit billboard advertising and prescribes a billboard-specific warning treatment at (D). Subsection (E) prohibits placement within 1,000 radial feet of six named location types. Subsection (C)(2) prohibits placement at airports and on public transit. Under (I), thirty days apply for billboard removal following notification of a buffer violation.
Compliant Use of Geotargeting
- Build circular 1,000 foot exclusions, measured as a radius, around child care centers, churches, substance abuse recovery facilities, public parks, public playgrounds and schools covering preschool, kindergarten and grades one through twelve, under (E).
- Apply the buffer at (E) to billboard placement. Section 36-2859 writes it for billboard advertisements.
- Exclude public airports, public transportation shelters, public buses, public trains, public shuttles and public trams, under (C)(2).
- For electronic, social media and website advertising, obtain and retain the audience composition data supporting the 73.6 percent expectation at (C)(3).
- Check creative against the potency prohibition at (C)(1)(d) and the consumption imagery prohibition at (C)(1)(c) before production.
- Retain opt-in and age affirmation records where relying on the exception at (M).
Need Help Running Compliant Campaigns in Arizona?
Knowing the rules is step one. Building campaigns that stay inside them and still produce sales is the harder part. MediaJel runs compliant programmatic, CTV, paid search, paid social, and SEO for Arizona dispensaries, brands, and MSOs, and ties every campaign to real online and in-store transactions through DataJel.
What Are the Recreational and Medical Marijuana Rules in Arizona?
One advertising rule set. Section 36-2859 addresses marijuana establishments and nonprofit medical marijuana dispensaries together, and from July 1, 2026 also addresses individuals and entities that sell marijuana paraphernalia.
The programmes differ in the enforcement route. A marijuana establishment in violation is subject to disciplinary action under A.R.S. §36-2854(B); a nonprofit medical marijuana dispensary under A.R.S. §36-2816. Under §36-2859(I), a licensee notified of a violation has fourteen days to comply.
Under §36-2859(H), it is unlawful for a person other than a marijuana establishment or dual licensee to facilitate delivery, solicit or accept orders, operate a platform that does so, or operate a listing service related to the sale or delivery of marijuana. The civil penalty is $20,000 per violation, enforced by the Attorney General.
What Are the Hemp and CBD Rules in Arizona?
Who regulates hemp here
The Arizona Department of Agriculture, under A.R.S. §§3-311 to 3-320, enacted by Senate Bill 1098 in 2018. The Department's Environmental Plant Services Division holds authority over licensing, audit monitoring and oversight of hemp cultivation, processing and distribution. Not the Department of Health Services.
Non-intoxicating hemp and CBD
Permitted. Industrial hemp is defined as Cannabis sativa L. with a total delta-9 THC concentration of not more than three-tenths of one percent on a dry-weight basis, including the total calculable amount resulting from chemical conversion of THCA. The Department states that it does not regulate or license the manufacture or sale of hemp-derived products, and that no Department licence is required to sell, manufacture or market post-processed hemp materials including CBD and similar non-intoxicating cannabinoids.
Intoxicating hemp-derived cannabinoids
Arizona Attorney General Opinion I24-005, issued March 11, 2024, concludes that state law prevents entities not licensed by ADHS from selling products containing hemp-synthesized intoxicants such as delta-8 THC, that delta-8 is a Schedule 1 controlled substance in Arizona, and that its sale by unlicensed entities such as convenience stores and smoke shops is unlawful. The Department of Agriculture's programme page routes delta-8 questions to ADHS. The federal definition of hemp narrows in November 2026.
What it means for advertising
House Bill 2179 (HB 2179) amended the opening of §36-2859 so that only a marijuana establishment or nonprofit medical marijuana dispensary may market, promote, sponsor or advertise marijuana, products containing THC, or intoxicating cannabinoids. A product within that description is subject to the requirements on this page: the warning at (D), the name and licence number at (F), the 73.6 percent threshold at (C)(3), the potency prohibition at (C)(1)(d), and the placement prohibitions at (C)(2) and (E). A non-intoxicating CBD product is outside §36-2859, and general Arizona consumer protection law and federal restrictions on health claims apply instead.
Arizona Legislation and Source Regulations
Every statement on this page traces to one of the following:
- HB 2179, Chapter 166, Laws 2025, amending A.R.S. §36-2859, effective from and after June 30, 2026
- A.R.S. §36-2859, Advertising restrictions, enforcement, civil penalty
- Arizona Administrative Code Title 9, Chapter 18, Adult-Use Marijuana Program
- Arizona State Senate fact sheet on HB 2179
- A.R.S. §36-2854, §36-2816
- Arizona Attorney General Opinion I24-005, March 11, 2024
- Arizona Department of Agriculture, Industrial Hemp Program
- Arizona Department of Agriculture, Industrial Hemp Program FAQ
Disclaimer
Please note that we are not legal professionals, and the information provided in this article should not be interpreted as legal advice. Cannabis laws and regulations are subject to frequent changes and vary by state and locality. We strongly recommend consulting with qualified legal counsel to ensure compliance with all applicable laws and regulations. For the most up-to-date guidance on state-specific marketing rules, please reach out to the MediaJel team directly.
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