Arkansas lawmakers have advanced a plan to delay the launch of the state’s
medical marijuana program and a proposal removing a requirement that doctors
recommending the drug say benefits outweigh its risk.
The House Rules Committee endorsed a bill Wednesday to give state agencies
until early May rather than March to finalize rules for the medical pot program
voters approved last year. The bill would also move the deadline for the state
to accept dispensary and cultivation facility applications from June to July.
Both measures passed on voice votes without dissent and are expected to go
before the full House next week.
District 18 State Senator Missy Irvin says establishing protocol for Medical
Marijuana will take some time.
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The Arkansas Medical Marijuana Commission says it will allow 32 dispensaries to be evenly distributed among the state’s four congressional districts.
The commission also set application and licensing fees for dispensaries
Tuesday. The main source of medical marijuana in the state will be cultivation
facilities.
Dispensaries that choose not to grow medical marijuana will be charged a
$2,500 initial license fee and a $10,000 yearly fee. Dispensaries will also have
to pay a $7,500 application fee.
Dispensaries that do grow their own medical marijuana plants would be charged
a $25,000 license fee and a $32,500 annual fee.
The commission must have a final draft of regulations completed by Jan. 23.
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