Marijuana Becoming a Savior to Struggling Arkansas Town

The medical marijuana licensing program in Arkansas encourages cultivators to setup in towns that need jobs created the most. Communities that struggle regularly benefit the most from this requirement. Mayor Willard C. Ryland is grateful for Bold Team approaching him to cultivate in his town.

Cotton Plant may become host to one of the state’s first marijuana cultivation operations, ADN.com reports. The Arkansas Medical Marijuana Commission has already announced that Bold Team will be granted a license.

Mayor Ryland said, “I consider it a miracle, I really do. This is what we’ve been looking for. And what’s remarkable about it is that they came and found us.”

With a bit of controversy surrounding the licensing process, the issuance of that license may be on-hold for a bit. The state’s Attorney General has filed an appeal to a Little Rock circuit judge’s ruling.

Despite the setback, Mayor Ryland has confidence that Bold Team will be starting its grow operation in Cotton Plant soon. Bold Team has projected that it would initially hire 25 employees. One-percent of the company’s gross sales will also be contributed to the town’s budget.

The town’s population once reached 1,800, but now has just 653 residents. The new industry could restore the town and may spark residential interest in the community.

Mayor Ryland said, regarding the new industry coming to town, that, “I look at this no different than if Bayer aspiring were coming to Cotton Plant.”

One of the things that struck home with Ryland is that one of Bold Team’s employees had a family member from Cotton Plant.

One Cotton Plant resident, Kiyona Woods, said she would apply for employment at Bold Team’s facility to reduce her current 12-mile commute to work.

Woods said, “Everybody’s happy about it, because it’s bringing jobs.”

Elders in the community, Elizabeth Nail and Alice Sorrels are also supportive of the new business. Nail hopes that medical marijuana will help her great-granddaughter who has epilepsy.

Nail said, “She has 40 to 50 seizures a day.”

Sorrell has some concern about the potential for theft of marijuana plants. She said, “They’ll just have to put a fence with a razor wire around it.”

Nail corrected Sorrell about the procedure saying, “Well, it’s going to grow in a building.”

It appears that the Mayor and residents are thrilled about the potential positive impact that Bold Team could have in their small community.