It might have gotten off to a slow start, but Arkansas’ medical cannabis market has noticeably inflated as of late. Since the state’s medical cannabis program officially launched in May of last year, licensed dispensaries – of which more than 80 percent are now in operation – recorded $187 million in transactions.

This amount of money was raked in within an 18-month timeframe. Based on the data, budtenders managed to shift more than 28,674 pounds of pharmaceutical-grade cannabis to qualified patients. As of November 20, the Arkansas Department of Health reported that 60,013 cannabis registry cards had been awarded to eligible caregivers and patients.

With these figures in mind, members of the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Commission – a panel of members entrusted with the task of issuing and regulating licenses for medical cannabis cultivation facilities and retail stores – predict that sales of medical cannabis in Arkansas will total 30,000 pounds for December.

An overview of medical cannabis sales in Arkansas

Currently, 31 of Arkansas’ medical cannabis dispensaries are actively serving the growing consumer demographic. An additional six are taking strides towards opening their doors within the next few months; they include new retail locations in Fayetteville, Hardy, Little Rock and Osceola, as well as two dispensaries in Pine Bluff.

Listed below are the state’s dispensaries and their output since medical cannabis sales in Arkansas kicked off:

• Suite 443 (Hot Springs) – Sold 1,706.55 pounds of medical cannabis since opening on May 10, 2019.
• Green Springs Medical (Hot Springs) – Sold 3,355.70 pounds of medical cannabis since opening on May 12, 2019.
• Arkansas Natural Products (Clinton) – Sold 556.11 pounds of medical cannabis since opening on June 20, 2019.
• Greenlight Dispensary (Helena) – Sold 494.00 pounds of medical cannabis since opening on June 27, 2019.
• Hensley Wellness Center (Hensley)  – Sold 1,654.30 pounds of medical cannabis since opening on July 7, 2019.
• Fiddler’s Green (Mountain View) – Sold 1,581.71 pounds of medical cannabis since opening on July 11, 2019.
• The Releaf Center (Bentonville) – Sold 3,131.07 pounds of medical cannabis since opening on August 7, 2019.
• The Source (Bentonville) – Sold 1,946.65 pounds of medical cannabis since opening on August 15, 2019.
• Acanza (Fayetteville) – Sold 2,132.81 pounds of medical cannabis since opening on September 14, 2019.
• Harvest (Conway) – Sold1,902.28 pounds of medical cannabis since opening on October 11, 2019.
• Purspirit Cannabis (Fayetteville) – Sold 1,442.45 pounds of medical cannabis since opening on Nov. 20, 2019.
• NEA Full Spectrum (Brookland) – Sold 1,472.79 pounds of medical cannabis since opening on December 9, 2019.
• 420 Dispensary (Russellville) – Sold 598.58 pounds of medical cannabis since opening on December 17, 2019. 
• Fort Cannabis (Fort Smith) – Sold 1,207.75 pounds of medical cannabis since opening on December 18, 2019.
• Red River Remedy (Texarkana) – Sold 450.93 pounds of medical cannabis since opening on January 10, 2020.
• Bloom Medicinals (Texarkana) – Sold 151.48 pounds of medical cannabis since opening on January 15.
• Plant Family Therapeutics (Mountain Home) – Sold 1,303.40 pounds of medical cannabis since opening on February 3.
• Little Rock House of Cannabis (Little Rock) – Sold 338.18 pounds of medical cannabis since opening on February 14.
• Herbology (Little Rock) – Sold 308.25 pounds of medical cannabis since opening on February 26. 
• Custom Cannabis (Alexander) – Sold 426.57 pounds of medical cannabis since opening on March 5.
• Natural Relief Dispensary (Sherwood) – Sold 1,631.68 pounds of medical cannabis since opening on March 17. 
• Body and Mind Dispensary (formerly Comprehensive Care Group) – Sold 138.49 pounds of medical cannabis since opening on April 27.
• Delta Cannabis (West Memphis) – Sold 258.34 pounds of medical cannabis since opening on July 1.
• Arkansas Patient Services Company (Monticello) – Sold 90.13 pounds of medical cannabis since opening on July 4. 
• Enlightened Cannabis for People (Arkadelphia) – Sold 62.58 pounds of medical cannabis since opening on July 16. 
• Enlightened Cannabis for People (Heber Springs) – Sold 90.45 pounds of medical cannabis since opening on July 17. 
• Enlightened Cannabis for People (Morrilton) – Sold 78.47 pounds of medical cannabis since opening on August 3.
• Enlightened Cannabis for People (Clarksville) – Sold 46.62 pounds of medical cannabis since opening on August 7.
• THF Investors Dispensary (West Memphis) – Sold 30.45 pounds of medical cannabis since opening on August 26.
• High Bank Cannabis (Pine Bluff) – Sold 58.27 pounds of medical cannabis since opening on October 9.
• Zen Leaf (El Dorado) – Sold 26.98 pounds of medical cannabis since opening on October 22.

Medical Marijuana Commission awards license to state’s 38th dispensary

Although just 31 dispensaries are serving Arkansas’ medical cannabis community, a 38th retail location bagged a license from the Medical Marijuana Commission on Tuesday, December 8. 3J Investments, owned by Jeffery Catlett Fitch and Jeremy Ruiz, was the name of the company on the receiving end of this highly sought-after license. The facility will open in Lamar, Johnson County — Zone 4.

Commissioners didn’t make the decision without some debate, however. A license for Zone 4 – comprising eight counties wedged between Conway County and the Oklahoma border – was up for grabs. In total, there are eight zones; each zone can have a maximum of four dispensaries. In order to decide who is worthy of serving Arkansas’ medical cannabis market, dispensaries are given a score based on their application.

River Valley Relief of Fort Smith looked like a hopeful applicant, but only until commissioners discovered that the business entity was inadequately registered with the secretary of state’s office and had since collapsed. According to Amendment 98 to the state constitution, dispensary licensees must be “incorporated in the state of Arkansas.”

Two final applications for licenses will expire on January 9. The Commission did not provide any update on the status of these applications.