ARKANSAS, USA — With almost 80,000 active patients in Arkansas, medical marijuana sales surpassed $250 million in 2021. A total of $254 million has been spent this year at the state's 37 dispensaries.
Scott Hardin, a spokesperson for the Arkansas Department of Finance & Administration, says Arkansans have spent $486 million on the drug since it first became available to patients in the summer of 2019.
Dispensaries in Northwest Arkansas, Bentonville and Fayetteville, still top the state in overall sales, with dispensaries in Hot Springs and Sherwood trailing not far behind, our content partner Talk Business & Politics reports.
Hardin reports that in November 2021, the state collected $2.56 million in taxes from sales of medical marijuana. The most significant month of state tax collection came back in May, where $3.28 million was collected.
While the numbers show growth in sales, several patients in western Arkansas still travel to Oklahoma to apply for temporary licenses and buy medical marijuana there. Patients 5NEWS have spoken with say the main reason they cross state lines to purchase medical marijuana is the price being cheaper in the Sooner state.
Organizations are pushing for recreational marijuana to be passed into law in Arkansas with a ballot measure that could be voted on in 2022.
Stick with 5NEWS for a special report on how medical marijuana dispensaries in Arkansas are preparing for the possibility of recreational use being passed by voters.