FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

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General questions concerning the Arkansas MMJ program:

Q. Where are the dispensaries located?

The Arkansas Department of Health does not have dispensary information. Click here for the dispensary information.

 

Q. Where can I read the Medical Marijuana Amendment?

Click here.

 

Q. Where can I read the complete department rules for the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Program?

Click here.

 

Q. What information and forms are required when a patient applies for a Medical Marijuana ID card? 

• The following are required when submitting your application:

• The application form.

• The completed Physician Written Certification.

• Photocopy of your Arkansas issued driver's license or state ID (remember: name and address must match what is listed on your Arkansas driver's license or ID).

• The nonrefundable $50 application fee.

 

Q. How long is my ID card valid?

Your registry identification card from the Arkansas Department of Health will be valid for one year from the date it is issued OR the amount of time designated by the physician.

 

Q. I live in another state and have one of the eligible debilitating medical conditions. Can I apply?

Only Arkansas residents are eligible for the Registry ID card for the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Program.

You may apply as a visiting patient. See the visiting patient application here.

A visiting patient application is $50.00 (non-refundable). If approved a visiting patient may purchase medical marijuana in Arkansas for a 30-day period, per application.

 

Q. Is my confidentiality protected when I apply and if I am approved for the use of medical marijuana?

Yes. The following information received and records kept by the Arkansas Department Health Medical Marijuana Section are subject to all applicable federal privacy laws, are confidential, are exempt from the Freedom of Information Act and are not subject to disclosure to any individual or public or private entity, except as necessary for authorized employees of the department to perform official duties for the medical marijuana program. Law enforcement will have the ability to confirm  only the validity of an ID card.

 

Q. Can I use medical marijuana anywhere in Arkansas?

No. Using medical cannabis is prohibited in a school bus, on the grounds of any preschool or primary or secondary school, in any correctional facility, in any motor vehicle, in a private residence used at any time to provide licensed child care or other similar social service care on the premises and in any public place where an individual could reasonably be expected to be observed by others. A public place includes all parts of buildings owned in a whole or in part, or leased, by the state or local unit of government. A public place does not include a private residence unless the private residence is used to provide licensed child care, foster care or other similar social service care on the premises. Using medical marijuana is also prohibited in a healthcare facility or any other place where smoking is prohibited by the Clean Indoor Air Act of 2006 and knowingly in close physical proximity to anyone under the age of 18.

 

Q. Are registry identification cards from other state medical marijuana programs valid in Arkansas?

A visiting qualifying patient may obtain marijuana from a dispensary  with  approval as a visiting patient.

Complete the visiting patient application here.

A visiting patient application is $50.00 (non-refundable). If approved, a visiting patient may purchase medical marijuana in Arkansas for a 30-day period, per application.

 

Q. May I obtain a  qualified patient or designated caregiver registry ID card if I am a member of Arkansas National Guard or United States military?

Legislation passed in 2017 prohibits members of Arkansas National Guard and United States military from obtaining a qualified patient or designated caregiver registry ID card.

 

ID Card questions:

Q. If my registry identification card is lost, stolen or damaged what do I do and is there a fee to replace the card?

If the application was submitted online, you may print you own card or reprint your own card using your AMMsys account. Each reprint voids the prior card validity.

Or if applied by mail, please complete the CHANGE OF ADDRESS/LOST CARD form. Submit the form to us and a replacement card will be issued. There may be a delay in receiving a replacement card as replacement cards will be processed after all new applicants have been processed  and issued cards. 

 

Q. I received my registry identification card, but my name is misspelled (or has other incorrect information).  What do I do?

If the application was completed online you may complete the change form and submit.

If you completed a paper application, complete the change form and mail to the office.

A corrected replacement card will be sent as soon as possible. Once a replacement card is issued, the prior card is no longer valid.

 

Q. If my registry identification card expired and I didn’t submit my renewal application before the deadline, am I still eligible to purchase medical marijuana?

No. When your card expires, the legal protection offered by the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Act is expired. You may still submit your renewal application.

 

Questions about Medical Conditions:

 

Q. What are the qualifying conditions?

• Cancer

• Glaucoma

• Positive status for human immunodeficiency virus/ acquired immune deficiency syndrome

• Hepatitis C

• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

• Tourette’s syndrome

• Crohn’s disease

• Ulcerative colitis

• Post-traumatic stress disorder

• Severe arthritis

• Fibromyalgia

• Alzheimer’s disease

• Cachexia or wasting syndrome

• Peripheral neuropathy

• Intractable pain which is pain that has not responded to ordinary medications, treatment or surgical measures for more than six (6) months

• Severe nausea

• Seizures including without limitation those characteristic of epilepsy

• Severe and persistent muscle spasms including without limitation those characteristic of multiple sclerosis

• and any other medical condition or its treatment approved by the Department of Health

 

Q. Can other medical conditions be added to the list?

Patients suffering from medical conditions may petition the department for consideration of an illness. After a hearing, the department shall approve or deny a petition within one hundred (120) days of submission of the petition. Click here for petition information.

 

Q. I have one of the debilitating medical conditions, am I automatically a qualified patient?

An official physician written certification must be obtained from a medical physician and submitted with the application.

 

Questions about Physicians:

 

Q. Which medical physicians can certify me for medical marijuana?

The medical provider must be a doctor of medicine or osteopathy licensed in the state of Arkansas, have a controlled substances license on file with the DEA, be in good standing to practice medicine in Arkansas, and have a bona fide physician-patient relationship with the patient they are certifying for medical cannabis.

 

Q. Is there a list of doctors in my area that can give me a Medical Marijuana certification?

The department does not maintain a physician list. Patients will be responsible for locating their own physician.

 

Q. Are physicians required to complete the written certification form if I have a qualifying debilitating medical condition?

No, a physician is not mandated to provide a patient with a certification.

 

Q. When does the physician certification expire?

The physician certification is valid for 30 days. If a patient gets a certification and fails to submit it to the ADH within 30 days, they must get a new certification.

 

Dispensary questions:

 

Q. Do I have to buy my marijuana from one of the dispensaries?

Yes. To be protected under the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Act, your marijuana must be labeled from one of the Arkansas dispensaries.

 

Q. Can I grow my own medical marijuana?

No. Qualifying registered patients and their designated caregivers cannot grow or cultivate medical marijuana. Marijuana-infused products must be purchased through the Arkansas medical marijuana dispensaries.

 

Q. How much medical marijuana may I possess as a qualified registered patient?

Qualified registered patients are allowed to purchase up to 2.5 ounces from a dispensary every 14 days.

 

Q. Will my insurance or Medicaid pay for my marijuana?

Please contact your insurance provider or Medicaid official for an answer.

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Designated Caregiver questions:

 

Q. What is a designated caregiver?

A designated caregiver is a person who is selected by a qualifying patient as the person authorized, on the qualifying patient’s behalf, to possess, obtain from a certified medical marijuana dispensary, dispense and assist in the administration of medical marijuana. Caregivers must apply for a registry card. A designated caregiver is issued a medical marijuana registry identification card that allows him/her to possess up to 2.5 ounces of medical marijuana on behalf of their patient. It is not legal for caregivers to consume, by any means, medical marijuana that has been dispensed on behalf of a registered qualifying patient.

 

Q. How do I apply to be a designated caregiver?

Complete the designated caregiver application here.

 

Q. Do I need a caregiver card to purchase MMJ for my child?

Yes. Qualified patients under 18 years of age cannot purchase medical marijuana from a dispensary. The legal guardian or parent is required to register as a caregiver to buy medical marijuana for a minor.

 

Q. Can a caregiver have more than one patient?

Yes. A caregiver may serve more than one patient. A caregiver must apply for a registry card for each patient and pay $50 for each registry card.

 

Q. Can a caregiver also be a registered qualifying patient?

Yes. A caregiver may be a registered qualifying patient.

 
Arkansas Department of Health
Medical Marijuana Section    

4815 W. Markham St., Slot 50
Little Rock, AR 72205    

Toll Free 1-833-214-8619