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. |
In This Section
While the basis for a medical cannabis program came from the passage of the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Amendment, the Arkansas legislature provided many updates and changes to the original language. Additionally, the Arkansas Department of Health has provided additional rules and regulations governing licensing and cultivation facilities.
Patients with a " debilitating medical condition" who are over the age of 18 (or minors who have a designated caregiver) and are Arkansas residents may become patients. All patients will be required to register with the Arkansas Department of Health.
In Arkansas medical cannabis can be recommended by a doctor of medicine or a doctor of osteopathy. The physician must complete a written certification that certifies their patient has one of the qualifying conditions recognized by the state.
Find local ASA Chapters, Action Groups and Affiliates in Arkansas and get involved in local campaigns.
Similar to patients, designated caregivers must also register with the Arkansas Department of Health for a ID card. The applications to be a provider and a producer in Arkansas are currently open.
The State of Medical Marijuana in Arkansas
