Has Arizona allocated a portion of tax revenue from recreational marijuana toward traffic safety enforcement operations?

When Arizona legalized recreational marijuana in 2020, the ballot measure dedicated about 25% of sales tax revenue to a fund for traffic enforcement and other highway operations, in addition to another 31% to public safety agencies, like municipal police and fire departments. 

The tax revenue from medical marijuana, legalized previously through a different ballot measure, goes to a separate fund that covers the program’s administrative costs and related agencies, such as county health departments. In 2020, a one-time $10 million payment from this fund was granted to the governor’s office of highway safety for traffic enforcement programs, personnel and equipment. 

Arizona received nearly $300 million in marijuana sales tax revenue in fiscal year 2024, on par with the year prior.  

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.

The Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting partners with Gigafact to produce fact briefs, or quick-response fact checks, about trending claims relating to Arizona.