The third of four medical marijuana dispensaries licensed for the zone that includes Garland County was approved to open Monday as the state looks into why more licensees aren't up and running 31 months after voters endorsed the medicinal use of the drug.
The state-approved Native Green Wellness Center to open Monday, making it the fifth dispensary to receive approval of 32 licensed statewide. The Hensley location on the Saline and Pulaski county line is one of four dispensaries licensed for Zone 6, the eight-county region that includes Garland County.
Doctor's Orders RX, 4897 Malvern Ave., and Green Springs Medical, 309 Seneca St., opened in May, making them the state's first locations to sell marijuana legally. Natural State Medical Group at 1402 Airport Road holds the other Zone 6 license but has yet to open.
With only four of the 32 dispensaries it licensed in operation as of Monday, the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Commission is exploring taking action against licensees who aren't making an effort to serve the more than 14,000 people the state has certified as having a condition qualifying for medical marijuana treatment.
"At the request of the Medical Marijuana Commission, the attorney general's office is reviewing the options available should dispensaries not take any action toward opening," said Scott Hardin, director of communications for the Department of Finance and Administration, the parent agency of Alcohol Beverage Control Division, which regulates dispensaries and cultivation facilities. "We anticipate the attorney general's office will have feedback to the commission at the next meeting scheduled for August."
The state began awarding licenses in January, more than two years after voters passed the medical marijuana amendment in November 2016. Hardin said requests for inspections have picked up after a slow start. Fiddler's Green in Mountain View is scheduled for inspection this week.
"There are a variety of factors leading to the number of operating dispensaries," he said. "Those building from the ground up have experienced an extremely wet spring, which may have delayed construction. Over the last several days, we've experienced increased activity, with new inspections requested and conducted. Our hope is this continues so Arkansans across the state may easily access a local dispensary."
Doctor's Orders and Green Springs have benefited from the slow rollout, raking in most of the more than $2 million in statewide sales. Through Saturday, they had accounted for 277.66 pounds of the 296.29 sold statewide, according to sales figures provided by DFA. Green Springs had sold 196.53 pounds since it opened May 12, and Doctor's Orders had sold 81.13 pounds since its May 10 opening.
Both locations charged $15 per gram when they opened.
Through Saturday, Arkansas Natural Products in Clinton had sold 15.08 pounds since its June 20 opening. Greenlight Dispensary in Helena-West Helena opened June 27 and had sold 3.55 pounds through Saturday.
The rollout has also been slow on the cultivation side, as only two of five sites licensed to grow marijuana in bulk have product. BOLD Team in Cotton Plant and Natural State Medicinals Cultivation in White Hall are both selling product. Hardin said Osage Creek in Berryville is harvesting product that should be going to market soon.
ABC has yet to inspect the two Newport sites licensed to cultivate, Hardin said.
Local on 07/03/2019