Arkansas

Arkansas

71,163 Registered Patient Population

2.35% of Total Population Represented by Patients

22 Total Medical Retail Locations Currently in Operation

3,235 : 1 Patients : Retail

Medical cannabis is legal in Arkansas; however, patients report limitations to access due to few dispensaries throughout the state in addition to high prices and taxes. Patients and caregivers in Arkansas may possess up to 2.5 ounces of cannabis. Patients visiting Arkansas may apply as out of state patients and pay a $50 fee to use in state dispensaries for a 30 day period.

Patient Rights and Civil Protection	91/100
Arrest Protection 40/40 Affirmative Defense 15/15 Parental Rights Protections 10/10 DUI Protections 0/5 Employment Protections 3/5 Explicit Privacy Standards 5/7 Housing Protections 5/5 Does Not Create New Criminal Penalties for Patients 5/5 Organ Transplants 5/5 Reciprocity 3/3
Access to Medicine	69/100
Allows Distribution Programs 33/40 – Allows Access to Dried Flowers 15/15 – Allows Delivery 5/5 – No Sales Tax or Reasonable Sales Tax 5/5 – Allows for a Reasonable Number of Dispensaries 3/5 – Does Not Require Vertical Integration 0/2 – Ownership/Employment Restrictions 1/2 – Provisions for Labor Standards 0/2 – Environmental Impact Regulations 2/2 – Choice of Dispensary Without Restrictions 2/2 Noncommercial Cultivation 0/20 – Personal Cultivation 0/15 – Collective Gardening 0/5 Explicit Right to Edibles/Concentrates/Other Forms 10/10 Does not Impose Bans or Limits on THC 10/10 Does not Impose Bans on CBD 9/10 Local Bans/Zoning 7/10
Ease of Navigation	79/100
Comprehensive Qualifying Conditions 40/50 Adding New Conditions 8/10 – Law/Regulations Allow for New Conditions 5/5 – System Works for Adding New Conditions 3/5 Reasonable Access for Minors 9/10 Reasonable Caregiver Background Checks 3/4 Number of Caregivers 1/2 Patient/ Practitioner- Focused Task Force or Advisory Board 0/2 Reasonable Fees (Patients and Caregivers) 8/10 Allows Multiple-Year Registrations 0/2 Reasonable Physician Requirements 5/5 Does Not Classify Cannabis as a Medicine of Last Resort 5/5
Functionality	76/100
Patients Able to Access Medicine at Dispensaries or by Cultivation 40/50 No Significant Administrative or Supply Problems 10/15 Patients Can Receive Legal Protections Within Reasonable Time Frame of Doctor's Recommendation 10/10 Reasonable Possession Limits 5/5 Reasonable Purchase Limits 4/5 Allows Patients to Medicate Where They Choose 3/5 Covered by Insurance/State Health Aid 0/3 Financial Hardship (Fee Waivers/Discount Medicine) 4/7
Consumer Safety and Provider Requirements	75.01/100
Dispensing 20/25.00 Staff Training 0/5 Standard Operating Procedures 5/5 – Facility Sanitary Conditions 1.25/1.25 – Storage Protocols 1.25/1.25 – Reasonable Security Protocols 1.25/1.25 – Inventory Control 1.25/1.25 Recall Protocol and Adverse Event Reporting 5/5 Product Labeling 5/5 – Product Contents, Including Source Material Identification 1.67/1.67 – Allergens 1.67/1.67 – Potency/Compound Identification 1.67/1.67 Required Testing 5/5 – Active Compound Identification 1.67/1.67 – Contaminants 1.67/1.67 – Potency 1.67/1.67 Grow/Cultivation 20/25 Staff Training 0/5 Standard Operating Procedures 5/5 – Facility and Equipment Sanitary Conditions 0.71/0.71 – Workforce Safety Protocols 0.71/0.71 – Storage Protocols (Short-Term and Long-Term Storage) 0.71/0.71 – Reasonable Security Protocols 0.71/0.71 – Batch and Lot Tracking 0.71/0.71 – Disposal/Waste 0.71/0.71 – Water Management 0.71/0.71 Pesticide Guidance 5/5 – Pesticide Guidance 2.5/2.5 – Pesticide Labeling 2.5/2.5 Required Testing 5/5 – Active Ingredient Identification 1.25/1.25 – Contaminants 1.25/1.25 – Potency 1.25/1.25 – Sample Retention 1.25/1.25 Recall Protocol and Adverse Event Reporting 5/5 Manufacturing 20.01/25 Staff Training 0/5 Standard Operating Procedures 0/5 – Facility and Equipment Sanitary Conditions 0/1 – Workforce Safety Protocols 0/1 – Storage Protocols 0/1 – Reasonable Security Protocols 0/1 – Batch and Lot Tracking 0/1 Product Labeling 5/5 – Product Contents, Including Source Material Identification 1.67/1.67 – Allergens 1.67/1.67 – Potency and Compound Information 1.67/1.67 Required Testing 5/5 – Active Ingredient Identification 1/1 – Contaminants 1/1 – Potency 1/1 – Shelf Life Testing 1/1 – Sample Retention 1/1 Recall Protocol and Adverse Event Reporting 5/5 Laboratory Operations 15/25 Staff Training 0/5 Method Validation in Accordance with AHP Guidelines 5/5 Result Reporting 5/5 Independent or Third Party 0/5 Standard Operating Procedures and Protocols 5/5 – Equipment and Instrument Calibration 0.83/0.83 – Sample Tracking 0.83/0.83 – Facility and Equipment Sanitary Conditions 0.83/0.83 – Disposal/Waste 0.83/0.83 – Storage Protocols 0.83/0.83 – Workforce Safety Protocols 0.83/0.83
Covid Response	18/20
Delivery Available? 6/6 Curbside Pickup Available? 0/2 Medical Cannabis Essential? 7/7 Telemedicine Available? 5/5
Excerpted from ASA's 2020 State of the States Report.

Becoming a Patient in Arkansas

Recommending Cannabis in Arkansas

Arkansas Advocacy

History Of Medical Cannabis In Arkansas

Policy Recommendations Arkansas