The Arizona Supreme Court ruled this morning that the smell of growing cannabis constitutes probable cause for a search warrant. The court’s decision overturned a lower appeals court ruling, which held that Arizona’s medical marijuana law legally negated the so-called “plain smell doctrine.” 

In the short term, this is bad news for Ronald James Sisco, the 45-year-old Tucson man who was arrested in 2013 for an illegal cannabis grow inside a rented storage unit. At his original trial, Sisco was sentenced to 3 ½ years in prison, which he will now serve. 

There are many myths about use and possession of marijuana and medical marijuana in Arizona, especially since the Arizona Medical Marijuana Act passed in 2010. Here's what you need to know about what is and isn't allowed, and the legal consequences.

Can I be fired for using or possessing medical marijuana legally?

A patient can be fired if he or she is in possession or under the influence of marijuana at the workplace.

It is illegal for an employer to take adverse action against an employee because of cardholder status or a positive test for the presence of marijuana, unless the employer would lose federal funding or licensing for not taking action. It does happen but often never makes it to court, according to marijuana lawyer Thomas Dean.

Opponents of the campaign to legalize recreational marijuana in Arizona filed a lawsuit Monday, asking a judge to bar the initiative from the November ballot.

The lawsuit comes as elections officials are verifying whether the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol submitted enough valid signatures to qualify for the ballot. The lawsuit was brought by 13 individuals and groups, including Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery, Yavapai County Attorney Sheila Polk,  the Arizona Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Republican Rep. Paul Boyer, a Tempe school board member, and others.

This is going to be a transformative year for the United States. Not only are we set to vote in a new president for the first time in eight years this November, but we could also see the most rapid expansion of marijuana ever, with eight states now set to vote on recreational or medical cannabis initiatives or amendments this fall.

What's at stake

The expansion of the cannabis industry was initially put in motion 20 years ago when California approved a compassionate use law for medical marijuana. Today, half of all U.S. states have approved a medical marijuana law. The two most recent approvals came from Pennsylvania and Ohio, which used the legislative process to pass medical cannabis laws.

Advocates for legalizing marijuana in Arizona say they will file more than 260,000 petition signatures Thursday with the secretary of state. That total is at least 100,000 more than is needed to qualify for a statewide vote in November.

The Arizona marijuana initiative -- officially known as the "Regulation and Taxation of Marijuana Act" -- would treat pot much the same way as alcohol. 

Under the initiative:

- The sale of marijuana and related products like edibles would start March 1, 2018, to people 21 and older.

- Individuals could possess and use one ounce or less of marijuana and possess up to six marijuana plants.

- Marijuana buyers and business would pay new taxes and fees to state, county and local governments.

​The legalize Marijuana campaign in Arizona has taken a patriotic turn.

The Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol says legalizing the drug would mean Arizonans would be able to 'Buy American and Support Schools, Not Cartels.'

A billboard with the slogan will appear in the city of Tempe and a retired U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency agent who investigated Mexican drug cartels has backed the scheme.

Learn from Colorado's folly. Unless Arizona does something about medical marijuana, legalization won't produce promised revenues.

Forty percent of the taxes on marijuana would be directed to the Department of Education for construction, maintenance and operation costs, including compensation of K-12 teachers. Another 40 percent would be set aside for full-day kindergarten programs. And 20 percent would go to the Department of Health Services for unspecified uses. Revenue from the taxes could not flow into the state's general fund, which would allow it to be spent for other purposes.

A store displays two identical TVs: One costs $575, the other is on sale for $533. Which do you choose?

The debate over whether the benefits of marijuana use are worth the risks continues to rage, as more and more states make moves to legalize it. While much remains unknown about its effects, a group of researchers recently made an important discovery that should lay some doubts to rest: Long-term marijuana use does not lead to any physical health problems. In fact, the only issue the researchers were able to link it to was a higher incidence of gum disease. For many people facing serious issues such as cancer and epilepsy who turn to marijuana, this news will be highly welcomed.

A group of Arizona parents that formed a coalition to support the initiative to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol in Arizona is launching a pro-marijuana Father’s Day billboard in Phoenix.

Parents for Responsible Regulation (PRR) is a group of concerned parents that was created for the purpose of highlighting the benefits of regulating marijuana to protect teenagers. Their Father’s Day-themed billboard launches on Thursday, June 16. Upon launching, a news conference will be held in front of the billboard in downtown Phoenix (two blocks south of Chase Field on the southwest corner of 7th St. and Lincoln St.) at 10 a.m. MST.

On a recent Friday afternoon, Nick Kriaris, owner of Encanto Green Cross medical-marijuana dispensary in Phoenix, and his brother, Chris, tried to open an account at Bank of America for their nonprofit business with $420 in cash.

The attempt at the bank branch at 3030 North Central Avenue was, to some extent, a stunt, from the pot-culture-inspired amount of the initial deposit to the dispensary employee videotaping his bosses. They knew the odds of success were minimal, if not zero.

But if the bank agreed to take the medical-marijuana retail shop's money, it would have been something of a minor historical moment. Although dozens of dispensaries are authorized to operate in the state, no bank will deal openly with them -- yet.