While COVID 19 has slowed the world down, the marijuana market in Arkansas proved to be an exception. A state gifted with parks, rivers, mountains, and caves has attracted attention at the national level for crossing 30,000 pounds of marijuana worth $200 million in sales. Arkansas voters welcomed medical marijuana way back in 2016. However, the medical market for marijuana began to flourish with the first dispensary that opened around mid-2019. And just within a year and a half the sales figures soared to $200.7 million.
According to the law, the advertising of medical drugs is completely banned from 2019. The state government was prohibited from issuing more licenses to set up marijuana clinics post-February, 2019. Back in February, more than 16 dispensaries were reported to be inactive. Fast forward to today, there are more than 30 dispensaries that are busy serving the most famous medical drug in Arkansas.
The House of Parliament was quick to take favorable action by not only passing the bill legalizing the medical drug at the federal level but also passing the authority to respective state governments to pass their own set rules and regulations. As of December 4th, marijuana and cannabis won’t be regulated by the Federal government anymore. The bill will be soon tabled at the Republican-controlled Senate.
It is evident that the COVID pandemic boosted sales, as $565,000 worth of marijuana was sold on the day lockdown was declared. And there has been no looking back for marijuana sales in Arkansas since the lockdown. The Marijuana Policy Project mentioned since the medical herb is now legalized, the state has set strict laws to avoid the misuse of the medical drug. Failing to abide by the laws, one may be imprisoned for 1- 6 years with a penalty of up to $6000, So here’s a word of caution for people of Arkansas, medical marijuana may bring breakthrough medical results but abusing the herb may land you in legal trouble.
