Yesterday marked the deadline for dispensary and cultivation application submissions, which will allow approved applicants to participate in Arkansas’s medical cannabis program.

The state will allow five cultivation facilities and 32 dispensaries which will be equally divided among eight regions throughout the state. The medical cannabis commission is tasked with scoring and approving the applications on grounds of qualifications, ability to operate, and planning.

The state already received 52 applications for dispensaries and 19 applications for cultivation centers before the deadline. The Department of Finance and Administration officials said there was a three-hour wait for applicants and paperwork was distributed to more than 100 groups or individuals.

Arkansas’s health department said it already approved 1,200 applications for patient registry cards, but patients won’t receive them until 30 days before cannabis products are available in the state.