Ruling upholds zoning mandates in medical marijuana law

PHOENIX (AP) -- An Arizona court says the state's medical marijuana law is constitutional in requiring counties to approve reasonable zoning regulations and other regulatory paperwork for dispensaries.

A Court of Appeals ruling Tuesday says the state law isn't pre-empted by the federal Controlled Substances Act, a federal law that still makes marijuana illegal.

The case in the appeal decided by the appeals court started with a legal dispute over whether Maricopa County officials had to approve zoning for a medical marijuana dispensary in Sun City.

The appeals court said the Arizona law requires counties to pass reasonable zoning regulations for dispensaries and issue the necessary zoning documentation for dispensaries to apply to the state for approval.

It also says the state must issue documents to allow dispensaries to operate.