Cannabis in Arkansas

Arkansas is a medical-only state. Voters approved Amendment 98, the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Amendment, on November 8, 2016, and the first dispensaries opened in May 2019. Adult use is not legal: a 2022 ballot measure failed, and a 2024 measure to expand the medical program was disqualified by the state Supreme Court before the votes were counted.

Two agencies share the work. The Arkansas Department of Health issues patient and caregiver registry cards, and the Alcoholic Beverage Control division licenses dispensaries and cultivators. On September 26, 2026 the Health Department reported 120,067 active cards. A patient needs a written physician certification for one of 18 qualifying conditions, pays a $50 non-refundable fee and waits up to 14 days for approval. Visitors with a valid card from another state can apply online for a 90-day visiting patient card, also $50, if their condition is on Arkansas's list.

A cardholder may buy 2.5 ounces every 14 days. Home growing is banned for patients, and dispensaries charge a 6.5% sales tax plus a 4% privilege tax, which lawmakers made permanent in 2025 (Act 380). The Marijuana Herald counted $140.3 million in sales in the first half of 2026, slightly below the same period of 2025, at an average of $75.14 per transaction. Delta-8 and other synthetic cannabinoids became controlled substances under Act 629 (2023) and Act 934 (2025), and enforcement started on August 27, 2025.

The legal ground moved in December 2025, when the Arkansas Supreme Court overturned its 1951 Edgmon rule and held that the Legislature may amend voter-approved constitutional amendments by a two-thirds vote in each chamber. Amendment 98 was the amendment at issue, so the medical program can now be changed by lawmakers alone. Buy only from an ABC-licensed dispensary, and read this page as general information, not legal advice.