Arkansas Emergency Medical Marijuana Rules Start May 8

Emergency rules for the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Amendment of 2016 went into effect on May 8 at noon. The rules are now in motion for the state’s law from seed to sale. Cultivation facility owners and dispensary owners are acquiring the necessary land for their businesses.

Representative Doug House said, “There are literally thousands of people in the background now that are all preparing for this big seismic change in Arkansas culture.”

Doctors in the state, along with pharmacists, still question how to dose medical marijuana, according to Arkansas Matters. Doctors are also milling over the idea of certifying patients and whether they will or not. Between four and eight licenses for cultivation facilities will be issued.

The new law also says that up to 40 dispensary licenses will be issued, based on merit of the application. Dispensaries will have a limit of eight geographic areas. Each county will be limited to four licensing zones.

The dispensaries and cultivation facilities must be owned at least 60-percent by an Arkansas resident with a minimum of 7-years of residency. The Alcoholic Beverage Control Division and health department must create an inventory tracking system.

House said, “It’s been a lot of hard work to try to create a mini Food and Drug Administration from the ground up.”

House has reservations about implementing testing and laboratory rules for the new industry.

He said, “I hope our standards are not such that no product that people produce will pass the standard.”

He continued by saying, “It’s always going to be a work in progress. You don’t just get it right and that’s’ the end of it. I mean, even speed limits on highways change from time to time.”

Dispensaries and cultivation facilities can start submitting applications on July 1, providing no further delays appear. The legislative council will review permanent rules on May 19. The permanent rules duplicate the emergency rules. Upon approval, the rules should go into effect on May 19.