Come mid-May, patients in the state of Arkansas would be able to avail ‘homegrown’ medical marijuana, as per an official statement by the government regulators.
Scott Hardin, the spokesman for Department of Finance and Administration, believes that a dispensary in Hot Spring will receive its final approval in a fortnight, whilst a second retailer will be inspected within a week’s time.
Notably, Arkansas has so far licensed 32 dispensaries.
The present scenario suggests that dispensaries across the state are in varying stages of development. “There are a few that will be ready for final inspection over the next 30 days or so, while others are still in the initial phases. Enforcement officers are prepared to inspect each facility and remain at disposal for each dispensary to answer any questions throughout the process,” Hardin was quoted as saying by HighTimes.
Cannabis cultivator Bold Team is all set to harvest its first crop on Tuesday or Wednesday of the coming week, reports Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. The flowers will then be dried, trimmed, cured and packaged before being sent to dispensaries in the second week of May. According to Robert Lercher, a customer relations representative for Bold Team, the company is expecting to harvest nearly 200 pounds of medical marijuana from its first crop.
Dragan Vicentic, CEO of the Green Springs Medical cannabis dispensary in Hot Springs, is positive that his retail store will receive the final approval to open by mid-May. “I am already getting around 25 phone calls a day from patients anxious to learn when the dispensary will open,” said Vicentic.
Osage Creek Cultivation of Berryville and Natural State Medicinals Cultivation of White Hall are two other companies that have begun their operations; however, they haven’t made any announcements regarding the dates of their first harvest.
Over 10,000 patients have already enrolled in Arkansas’s medical marijuana program. The state had legalized medical marijuana in 2016 via a ballot initiative.
Notably, patients cannot possess more than 2.5 ounces of medical cannabis in Arkansas.
