Two and a half years after Arkansans voted to legalize medical marijuana, qualifying patients could begin buying the product Saturday morning when the state’s first dispensary opened, though the celebratory mood was dampened by confusion about operating hours and fears the dispensary wouldn’t be able to serve all the patients by closing time. Doctor’s Orders […]
Arkansas
Medical marijuana grows hope in Cotton Plant
COTTON PLANT, Ark. – Patients in Arkansas are still not able to buy medical marijuana. But, there is a cultivation facility that is actively growing the plant. Bold Team, LLC has set up shop in the Woodruff County town of Cotton Plant. The downtown drag is lined with empty buildings and street signs falling apart. […]
Arkansas Medical Marijuana Commission Awards Five Licenses To Grow
The Medical Marijuana Commission has awarded cultivation licenses to the top five applicants after the Arkansas Supreme Court’s decision on a medical marijuana lawsuit finalized. In June, the Arkansas Supreme Court paved the way for the state to launch its medical marijuana program, reversing and dismissing a ruling by Pulaski County Circuit Court Judge Wendell Griffen […]
Arkansas to Begin Accepting Medical Marijuana Applications Next Week
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Arkansas’ medical marijuana industry will ramp up in the next week, with the state poised to accept applications from potential patients, growers and distributors. Beginning Friday, the state Medical Marijuana Commission will accept applications from those hoping to grow or supply marijuana, while the Health Department will take applications from […]
Arkansas Officials Expect up to 40k People to Register for Medical Marijuana
LITTLE ROCK — Arkansas officials are anticipating that between 20,000 and 40,000 people will ask for permission to obtain medical marijuana. The state Health Department’s chief lawyer, Robert Brech, told a joint meeting of the Senate and House Public Health Committee on Monday that running Arkansas’ medical marijuana program will cost about $1.5 million over […]
Arkansas Nears Medical Marijuana License Deadline
LITTLE ROCK — Arkansas will soon begin taking applications from those who hope to grow and dispense medical marijuana, though the state’s strong religious heritage and restrictions imposed by the Legislature will limit where greenhouses and distributors can operate. Voters last November made Arkansas the first Bible Belt state to legalize medical marijuana, clearing its […]
Arkansas Medical Marijuana Commission OKs Grow and Sell Rules; Awaits Review From Lawmakers
Rules governing who gets to grow and sell medical marijuana were given final approval by the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Commission on Tuesday, but must survive a review by lawmakers in order to go into effect on time. State lawyers have said one new provision — to ensure dispensaries and cultivation facilities are majority-owned by Arkansans […]
Arkansas to Allow 32 Medical Marijuana Dispensaries Statewide
There will be 32 medical marijuana dispensary licenses up for grabs when the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Commission eventually starts accepting applications for those licenses, the commission decided on Tuesday. Dispensary licensing rules weren’t even on the agenda for Tuesday’s meeting, but legal counsel for both the Department of Finance and Administration and the Alcohol Beverage […]
Want to Grow Medical Marijuana in Arkansas? Get Ready to Pay Big Bucks
Arkansans hoping to grow medical marijuana will have to pay an annual $100,000 fee to operate a cultivation facility, the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Commission decided Tuesday. Would-be growers will also need to have access to cash to ensure the stability of their business. The commission decided Tuesday to require an applicant to have a $1 […]
Nine States Will Vote for Marijuana Today
The Green Party’s candidate for US president will be on the ballot in 45 states today; green will be on the ballot in nine. Voters in Arkansas, Florida, and North Dakota will decide if they want medical marijuana legal in their states. In Montana, there’s a ballot initiative to redress state legislature action in 2011 […]
Arkansas Supreme Court Tosses Medical Marijuana Proposal After Thousands Have Already Voted
The Arkansas Supreme Court has disqualified a medical marijuana proposal from the November ballot less than two weeks before the election and with thousands of votes already cast, but voters will still be able to consider a competing plan. In a 5-2 ruling Thursday, the court sided with opponents of the proposed initiated act — known […]
Arkansas Residents May Get to Vote on Multiple Marijuana Measures This Fall
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Canvassers around the state are in a month-long sprint to gather thousands of signatures for proposed ballot issues. Depending on how things fall, voters might have a chance to consider multiple Arkansas marijuana-related proposals this fall. The marijuana measures, a plan to legalize casinos in three counties, an effort to impose […]
Proposed Amendment Would Legalize Marijuana in Arkansas
A proposed constitutional amendment approved by the state attorney general on Monday would let voters decide this November whether or not to legalize marijuana in Arkansas. There were already two medicinal marijuana proposals collecting signatures in Arkansas but this newest one, titled The Arkansas Cannabis Amendment, would fully legalize recreational marijuana in the state. “I’d […]
Marijuana in Wonderland: Making Sense of a Judge’s Anti-Cannabis Ruling
By Barry Gainsburg “When I use a word,’ Humpty Dumpty said in rather a scornful tone, ‘it means just what I choose it to mean — neither more nor less.’ ” — Lewis Carroll, from Through the Looking Glass Last week, the U.S. District Court in Northern California declined to declare the federal classification of marijuana […]
Analysis: Setback for medical pot push in Arkansas
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — In 2012, by the slimmest of margins, Arkansas missed being the first state in the South to legalize medical marijuana — less than 2 percent. Nearly two years later, another push to legalize the drug failed to even muster enough signatures to place the issue on the ballot. It’d be easy […]
Recreational marijuana
Come November, Arkansas voters could be the first in the South to decide whether or not to legalize marijuana for recreational use. Last week, Attorney General Dustin McDaniel certified the wording of a proposed state constitutional amendment called “The Arkansas Hemp and Cannabis Amendment.” The amendment would allow the “cultivation, distribution, sale and use of […]
Ballot Title Approved for Arkansas Marijuana Legalization Proposal
An Arkansas marijuana legalization proposal is one step closer to the ballot. This afternoon, the Arkansas Attorney General’s office certified the popular name and ballot title of the Arkansas Hemp and Cannabis Amendment. The amendment proposes that the cultivation, manufacturing, distribution, sale, possession and use of the cannabis plant and all products derived from the […]
