Arkansas' medical marijuana sales are likely to increase significantly from the more than $5 million sold since the state's first legal sale of the drug was transacted in Garland County May 10.
Twenty-five dispensary licensees who have yet to open indicated in a survey submitted to the state Medical Marijuana Commission that they plan to be operating by the end of the year. Only seven of the 32 dispensaries the commission licensed at the beginning of the year are open, including two of the three Garland County locations awarded licenses.
Doctor's Orders RX, 4897 Malvern Ave., and Green Springs Medical, 309 Seneca St., were the first to open, commanding more than 60 percent of the 729.79 pounds the state Department of Finance and Administration said had been sold statewide through Tuesday afternoon. The weight accounted for $5.28 million in sales, DFA said.
Green Springs, the only dispensary licensed in Hot Springs' incorporated area, has sold 352.97 pounds since it opened May 12, followed by Doctor's Orders with 111.77 pounds since its May 10 opening. The former's sales for August have already topped the state leading 43.61 pounds it sold in July, reaching 47.82 pounds through the first 13 days of the month.
Native Green Wellness Center in Hensley is closing on Doctor's Orders as the state's second most prolific purveyor. The location near the Saline and Pulaski county line has sold 93.19 pounds since it opened July 2. Sales of 29.99 pounds and 28.79 pounds in July and through the first two weeks of August trailed only Green Springs.
Doctor's Orders' July and August sales ranked near the bottom, with 8.15 pounds and 7.45 pounds.
The Releaf Center in Bentonville is the latest dispensary to open, selling 27.95 pounds since operations began Aug. 7. The Source, formerly known as Arkansas Medicinal Source Patient, will be opening this morning in Bentonville, DFA said, bringing the number of locations to eight. Dispensaries are also open in Clinton, Helena-West Helena and Mountain View.
Natural State Medical Group, 1402 Airport Road, indicated in the survey it expected to open by the end of the year. It's one of three licenses in Garland County and one of four in Zone 6, the eight-county region that includes Garland County.
The constitutional amendment voters passed in 2016 that legalized marijuana use for medicinal purposes authorized up to 40 dispensaries. The commission licensed 32 operators. The state Department of Health said as of Friday it has issued 18,629 patient cards, certifying the recipients have one of the almost two dozen medical conditions that qualify for marijuana treatment.
Local on 08/15/2019