Arkansas wants to expand its medical cannabis program and authorize self-cultivation

In order to expand access to medical marijuana In Arkansas, a constitutional amendment will be proposed to strengthen the law ratified in 2016. This proposed amendment, spearheaded by a group known as’Arkansans for Patient Access, includes several options for patients.

Access and Self-Cultivation

Amendment 2024 includes a wide range of reforms designed to improve patient access and the program’s sustainability. One of its key provisions is the elimination of the $50 fee for obtaining or renewing cards medical marijuana, as well as extending the validity period of the cards from one to three years. These measures are intended to ease the financial burden on patients and streamline the program’s administrative procedures.

The amendment also proposes to extend certification authority to pharmacists, nurse practitioners, and medical assistants. This inclusive approach aims to address geographic disparities in access to medical cannabis by allowing a wider range of healthcare professionals to prescribe cannabis to patients. In addition, the amendment broadens the scope of eligible conditions, allowing healthcare providers to recommend medical cannabis for any debilitating illness that warrants its therapeutic use.

The bill also aims to allow patients to grow their own plants of Cannabis. Unlike the 2016 legislation, which prohibited personal cultivation, the proposed amendment allows cardholders to grow up to seven mature plants and seven immature plants. This historic step toward self-sufficiency would not only enable patients to take charge of their own care but also foster a more inclusive and sustainable medical cannabis ecosystem.

No Recreational Cannabis in the State to Protect Patients

Melissa Fults and David Couch, two passionate advocates for cannabis who have fought against a 2022 proposal to legalize cannabis, have been working to support this year's constitutional amendment.

Their stance against the 2022 Arkansas Adult-Use Cannabis Amendmentt, which sought to legalize adult cannabis use, was simple: they were concerned about the potential negative impact on the program medical marijuana by the government, out of concern that recreational demand might take precedence over patients’ needs and that distribution might be entrusted solely to a small industry that is already not very open.

Mr. Couch had echoed these sentiments, criticizing the 2022 amendment for its perceived favoritism toward established industry players. Together, Fults and Couch worked with key stakeholders, including Robert McLarty, Nate Steele, and the Arkansas Cannabis Industry Association, to develop a tailored proposal aimed at addressing gaps in the medical program while preserving one of its core principles: patient access.