Legal status
- Medical Program
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Application process
Get approved by a doctor, then apply to the state medical marijuana program. Receive your MMJ card and start shopping for your medical cannabis from a licensed dispensary.
Only medical cannabis is legal in Arkansas.
2012
Ballot Measure Issue 5
Arkansans for Compassionate Care campaign to legalize medical cannabis, putting up the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Act (Issue 5). The act was defeated by a vote of 48.6% to 51.4%. Many believe this is because Issue 5 permitted patients to grow their own cannabis if they lived further than 5 miles from their nearest dispensary, and allowed
2016
Medical marijuana is legalized in Arkansas.
Prohibits the Arkansas Legislature from making marijuana illegal again without voter approval.
Also known as the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Amendment.
An amended Issue 7 was proposed, allowing for Arkansas patients to grow their own cannabis plants, and would have been permitted to make medical marijuana illegal again with a two-thirds supermajority vote in each legislative chamber. Issue 7 was struck from the ballot.
2017
Applications for medical marijuana registration are being accepted.
Recreational cannabis (aka adult-use cannabis) is not legal in Arkansas.There is a Ballot Initiative set to go ahead in 2022.
The Arkansas law lists the following medical conditions as qualifiers for a medical cannabis card:
At this time, telemedicine is not permitted in Arkansas. However, we hope this will change soon!
With Leafwell, you will be able to get your Arkansas Medical Marijuana Card in 4 steps:
Yes, telemedicine is now permitted for medical cannabis consultations in Arkansas, as long as the physician is available for follow up consultations to monitor the patient’s experience with medical cannabis.
For medical card holders only – 2.5 oz. every 14 days.
Growing and cultivating cannabis is illegal in Arkansas, even if you are a qualifying medical marijuana patient. It is thought that the provision to grow cannabis is one of the big sore points in Arkansas medical marijuana law, and prevents it from going further.
Arkansas does not have medical marijuana reciprocity, so does not recognize out-of-state medical marijuana cards. However, qualifying patients from other states can apply for the Arkansas medical marijuana program.
Your Arkansas medical marijuana card is recognized in some other states with an MMJ program.
The following states accept or recognize out-of-state medical marijuana cards:
However, this does not always mean you can purchase cannabis at a medical marijuana dispensary (non-medical adult use is fine) – just that you are protected by the state’s medical marijuana laws to some extent. It is wise to call the dispensary ahead if you are a medical cannabis patient from another state and you intend on purchasing medical marijuana.
The qualifying condition usually has to match between states, so if your qualifying condition is accepted in one state and not your visiting state, your recommendation is not necessarily valid. You are also beholden to the visiting state’s medical marijuana laws, not the state that issued your card.
The following states accept out-of-state applications, allowing a visiting patient application to use medical cannabis for the duration of their stay:
Under federal law, it is still illegal to own or purchase firearms in combination with possession of marijuana.
A person convicted of a felony involving violence or the violation of controlled-substance laws within the past 10 years can not serve as a caregiver or work in the medical marijuana industry.
By state law, labs are largely self-policing but follow established ISO (International Standard for Organization) standards for testing, including for pesticides, solvents, moisture content, microbial contaminants and heavy metals, among other elements from every “lot” of cannabis produced.
In all states with a medical marijuana program, the only way to purchase medicinal cannabis products is via a legally-licensed dispensary or pharmacy, or another legally designated space to purchase cannabis. Only those with a legal license to sell cannabis can actually do so.
All states with a medical marijuana program have some restrictions on where a person can legally use cannabis. Near schools, nurseries, parks or other places where children are expected to be, using cannabis is illegal. Use of cannabis on or in federal land or buildings, hospitals or any other such healthcare space is also illegal. Private members club and landowners may also prohibit cannabis use on their property or restrict it at their discretion.
The safest place to use medical cannabis is in the safety of your own home. It is wise to use common sense and generally keep consumption out of public view, and utilize discreet consumption methods wherever possible.