Arizona NORML Endorses Primary Candidates for 2026 Election

This article shares NORML's views and candidate recommendations, not an endorsement by Tucson Doobie — we encourage readers to research candidates independently before voting.

By: Jon Udell, Esq.

Hunter S. Thompson was right when he wrote, “Freedom is something that dies unless it’s used.” Although marijuana consumers have more freedom than ever, our freedom faces threats and remains more limited than we would like. For example, we still cannot purchase or consume cannabis in a bar-like social setting. Many patients in rural communities still face long drives to their nearest dispensary. Additionally, homegrowers and small operators still cannot enter the plant-touching industry without access to a license that costs more than $7 million.

The 2026 legislative session showed why elections still matter. SB 1725, the marijuana smoke and odor nuisance bill, would have created new legal exposure for “excessive marijuana smoke or odor” crossing property lines. The measure passed the Senate 20-9 before stalling in the House, and reporting on the bill described potential criminal consequences in earlier versions of the debate. Meanwhile, Arizona came close to its first expansion of licensing since Proposition 207’s adoption in 2020. 

In a statement that withstands the test of time, Thompson also wrote that “politics is the art of controlling your environment.” For cannabis consumers, that means paying attention not only to federal headlines, but to the state legislative primaries that determine who writes, blocks, weakens, or advances cannabis policy in Arizona. The July 21, 2026 primary will decide many races that matter for cannabis consumers.

Arizona NORML reviewed the candidates, incumbents’ voting records, and public positions in key legislative races. Based on that review, the organization is announcing the following primary endorsements.

Representative Mariana Sandoval (Democrat – LD23)

Representative Sandoval has consistently proven that she prioritizes the needs of everyday, working Arizonans, including those who consume marijuana. Endorsed by longtime marijuana reform advocate Senator Bernie Sanders, Sandoval’s commitment to justice goes beyond rhetoric—she has even volunteered as a paralegal at an expungement clinic co-hosted by Arizona NORML.

She has consistently voted to advance the interests of marijuana consumers, distinguishing herself as one of the only House Democrats to support a crucial 2025 marijuana research bill. Sandoval also recognizes the plant's economic and therapeutic potential across the state. She recently toured a hemp farm outside of Yuma and voted last year to create new rural dispensaries, an initiative that benefits underserved communities, rural patients, and outdoor recreation enthusiasts. Crucially, Sandoval supports issuing more licenses to expand consumer access, increase market competition, and create economic opportunities for everyday people who cannot afford a $7-15 million barrier to entry.

Representative Betty Villegas (Democrat – LD20)

Representative Betty Villegas brings a Tucson-centered perspective to the Legislature. She is a third-generation Tucsonan and longtime public servant whose activism stretches back to the 1970s.

For cannabis consumers, Villegas stands out because she treats the issue as part of normal community life. She has attended Arizona NORML lobby weeks, heard directly from patients and consumers, and has not approached legalization as an abstract Capitol debate. She understands consumer culture with the familiarity of someone who does not see cannabis consumers as strangers to be managed or stigmatized.

Villegas voted in 2025 for rural dispensary expansion through the Rural Opportunity Initiative. She also supported Senator Kevin Payne’s 2026 marijuana producer license bill, SB1641. That bill would have issued new licenses for cultivation and manufacturing businesses, including operators that currently function as glorified sharecroppers under dispensary licenses despite doing the plant-touching work that keeps the market supplied.

Arizona NORML’s endorsement of Villegas reflects her willingness to listen to consumers, support rural access, and back reasonable expansions of licensing opportunities as a fairness measure that benefits entrepreneurs, workers, and consumers.

Senator Kevin Payne (Republican – LD27)

People say the only sure things in life are death and taxes, but another sure thing is that as long as Senator Payne remains in office, cannabis consumers can rest assured that at least one Republican in the Arizona Legislature will sponsor a positive marijuana reform bill every year.

In past years, Senator Payne has sought to advance objective marijuana research (moving past the outdated focus on supposed links to schizophrenia and violent behavior) and to transfer oversight of the marijuana industry away from the Arizona Department of Health Services to a dedicated marijuana regulatory board.

This year, he tackled three vital subjects: reforming the social equity program, improving the medical marijuana program (including lowering costs and adding autism spectrum disorder as a qualifying condition), and issuing new licenses for marijuana cultivation and manufacturing operations. His “marijuana producer license” bill (SB 1641) passed the Arizona Senate by a 23-5-2 margin [1.3.2] before stalling in the House Rules Committee when a social conservative effectively vetoed it.

Beyond his own legislation, Senator Payne—despite being a Republican—cast a pivotal vote against a Senate concurrent resolution that sought to make “excessive marijuana smoke or odor” a private nuisance and criminal offense. He currently faces a tough primary challenge from an opponent backed by Turning Point USA, and he needs cannabis consumers to rally to his side.

Senator Analise Ortiz (Democrat – LD 24)

Senator Analise Ortiz has become one of the clearest, most unapologetic pro-consumer voices at the Capitol.

She co-sponsored legislation to regulate hemp without handing the entire intoxicating cannabinoid market over to existing dispensaries. She took the time to speak directly with small business owners about the producer license bill, championed its adoption in committee, and fiercely advocated for it among her colleagues. Like Sandoval, Ortiz traveled to Yuma to learn about hemp cultivation and the economic opportunities it can generate for the state.

Ortiz also voted against the excessive marijuana smoke and odor bill in the Arizona Senate and supported expanding rural dispensary access. Time and again, she has shown she is willing to challenge both political convenience and industry pressure when consumer rights are on the line.

Alberto Flores & Lisbeth Arescurenaga (Democrats – LD24)

Arizona NORML is also endorsing Alberto Flores and Lisbeth Arescurenaga for the two House seats in Legislative District 24. They are running as part of a slate with Senator Analise Ortiz.

Flores was born and raised in Phoenix in a working-class immigrant family. His campaign emphasizes standing up to corporate interests and delivering tangible results for everyday Arizonans. Meanwhile, Arescurenaga is a licensed mental health specialist and social worker. Her campaign biography states that she came to the United States from Peru at age 15 and has spent her career helping families navigate complex systems, including work with unaccompanied minors, cancer patients, and communities facing housing, education, and health-care challenges.

Neither Flores nor Arescurenaga has the same cannabis voting record as incumbents because they are new candidates. Arizona NORML’s endorsement is therefore based on their stated values, their alignment with Ortiz’s pro-consumer slate, and their expressed support for expanding the medical marijuana program and creating real opportunities for new cannabis businesses.

It also arises from the clear contrast in their election. While their expressed views on marijuana and alignment with consumer champion Senator Ortiz suggest budding consumer champions, their opponent Representative Lydia Hernandez (running with Rosa Cantu) has frustrated advocates for years by supporting restrictive marijuana legislation and opposing any measure that would increase entrepreneurial opportunities or expand access for consumers.

For opportunities to support Arizona NORML’s endorsed candidates, follow @arizonanorml on Instagram and Arizona NORML on Facebook. We are canvassing for our candidates every weekend and holding a virtual phone-bank every Wednesday from 5:30-7:30pm.

Publisher's Note: This article reflects the views and candidate assessments of its author, an attorney with NORML — not necessarily those of Tucson Doobie. We support the broader advancement of cannabis reform, from expanded medical access to breaking down harmful stereotypes, but we don't endorse individual candidates. Please research any candidate's full platform and record before deciding who earns your vote.