The Arizona Supreme Court has ruled medical marijuana patients are protected from arrest for possessing hashish and other pot extracts as long as they don't have more of the drug than allowed.
The unanimous decision Tuesday concluded cardholders are immunized because extracts are considered marijuana under the state's 2010 voter-approved medical pot law.
The ruling reversed a lower court decision that found patients faced arrest for hashish possession because the drug isn't mentioned or included by name in the law.
The case centers on the 2013 arrest of medical marijuana card holder Rodney Jones at a Prescott hotel on charges of possession of cannabis and drug paraphernalia.
Police say Jones had 0.05 ounces of hashish in a jar.
He was convicted and later sentenced to two years in prison.
