Arkansas Just Got Its First Medical Marijuana Dispensary Application

As of today, Arkansas just got its first medical marijuana dispensary application. For patients in the state that desperately need it, things could be looking up.

Arkansas Receives First Dispensary Application Ever

Scott Hardin, a spokesperson for the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration, confirmed that the state had received the application on Friday.

The news comes months after voters in the state voted to legalize cannabis for medical purposes only. Voters approved the change in November of last year. At the time, 53.2 percent of Arkansas voted yes on Issue 6, the ballot to make medical weed legal.

Although the initiative passed in November, dispensary applications have only been available since the very end of June.

The fact that the first dispensary application has only just been received makes the time gap make more sense.

While many more applications may be received by the State Department in the near future, only a few will make the grade.

As the Medical Marijuana Commission announced earlier, only 32 licenses for dispensaries will be given out.

As it stands, the deadline for dispensary applications in the state is September 18.

Final Hit: Arkansas Just Got Its First Medical Marijuana Dispensary Application

Despite this small victory for the medical cannabis movement in Arkansas, there’s still a long way to go.

The news of the state’s first dispensary application is a victory unto itself. But there is no word on whether it will be approved—only that it’s been received by government offices.

In addition to today’s application, a number of Arkansas residents are already optimistic about the state’s new medical marijuana program.

So far, the state has approved the applications of least 670 people who applied for a medical marijuana license.

In Arkansas, qualifying conditions range from PTSD to severe nausea to cancer. Patients who qualify for licenses will be given ID cards 30 days before medical weed is officially legal.

That, as well as the opening of Arkansas dispensaries, are projected to happen later this year.