Since the start of legal medical marijuana distribution in Arkansas in 2019, sales have surpassed $1 billion.
According to the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration (DFA), Arkansas medical marijuana patients have purchased over $1.10 billion worth of products since sales began in May 2019. The DFA reports that 203,000 pounds of medical marijuana have been sold.
In 2019, the first year of legal medical marijuana, sales were just $31 million. This rose to $181.8 million the following year and then to $264 million in 2021. Sales reached $276 million in 2022 and increased to $283 million in 2023.
The DFA also noted that there are now over 100,000 active medical marijuana patients in the state.
In February Attorney General Tim Griffin gave approval to the ballot language of an initiative submitted by Arkansans for Patient Access. The group is hoping to put their proposal to a vote this November. They must collect 90,704 signatures by July 5 to achieve that goal.
The initiative would expand the state’s medical marijuana law, initially passed in 2016, to allow patients to grow their own marijuana at a private residence, with the limit set at seven mature plants and seven immature plants, and it would remove the retail prohibition on certain smokeable marijuana products such as pre-rolls.
The initiative would also:
- Allow medical marijuana assessments and renewals to be conducted via telehealth.
- Allow out-of-state patients to receive protections under the state’s medical marijuana law.
- Expand new patient cards to last three years rather than one.
- Allow physician assistants, nurse practitioners and pharmacists to recommend medical marijuana in addition to physicians.
- Allow the above list of healthcare professions to recommend medical marijuana for any condition they deem appropriate, rather than having to follow the current list of qualifying conditions.
The initiative would also legalize recreational marijuana, with the possession limit set at one ounce, if the federal government removes marijuana as a controlled substance.
