BENTONVILLE, Ark. (KFSM) — The first Northwest Arkansas medical marijuana dispensary has been approved to open.
The ReLeaf Center in Bentonville passed inspection and could open this week.
The ReLeaf Center Superintendent Buddy Wayne says they will have a soft opening at 12 p.m. on Wednesday (Aug. 7) and the grand opening will be at 12 p.m. on Friday (Aug. 9). VIP Access members can go as early as 8 a.m., according to a press release.
Spokesman for the Arkansas Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission Scott Hardin says that a glitch in the tracking software which connects with the state's database is the reason why the dispensary openings have been delayed.
"Each dispensary has a tracking system of their own that then feeds into the state and allows us to track purchases," Hardin said. "We know exactly how much is being sold at any given time, we know how much in total each dispensary has sold."
AMS Patient Center could be the next one in Northwest Arkansas to open. Hardin says at this point it's safe to say that we could see it open sometime this week.
Both dispensary owners want to apologize for the delay and say they are looking forward to helping their patients in the coming days.
"Looks like the light is at the end of the tunnel and we will get to open soon," said Erik Danielson, owner of AMS.