Saline County Cannabis – Is It Legal & Where To Buy 2025

Is Cannabis Cultivation Legal in Saline County?

Licensed cannabis cultivation for medical uses in Saline County was legalized in 2016 by Amendment 98 or the State of Arkansas Medical Marijuana Amendment. The Medical Marijuana Commission of the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration (DFA) grants the medical marijuana cultivation facility license that a medical cannabis cultivation company needs to start operating.

Not less than four but not more than eight medical cannabis cultivation facility licenses will be granted in the State of Arkansas. All licensees are bound by the licensing rules of the Medical Marijuana Commission and the operational rules of the DFA’s Alcoholic Beverage Control Division.

The owners, board members, and officers of companies applying for the cultivation facility license are required to pass a criminal background check. Applicants must pay the $15,000 application fee, but they will be refunded half of it in case the application is denied. If the application is granted, licensees must pay the initial license fee of $100,000 and a $500,000 performance bond. The annual license renewal fee is the same as the initial license fee.

The zoning regulations of the municipality where the licensed medical cannabis cultivation facility will be located have to be observed by license holders. There must be a minimum of 3,000 feet separating the cultivation facility from a school, daycare center, or church. If the cultivation facility stands on a property that is being leased by the licensee, it is necessary to obtain the approval of the owner in writing to cultivate medical cannabis on the property.

Licensed medical cannabis cultivation is allowed only inside a building or a sturdy fully-enclosed greenhouse, both with lockable doors. No activities related to medical cannabis cultivation must be detected by the public visually or by means of odors, noise, or glare.

The medical cannabis cultivation licensee must protect the facility with a 24-hour security system that includes alarms and video surveillance. Recorded footage is required to be saved for at least 90 days. Registration with the DFA’s Alcoholic Beverage Control Division is also required for all facility personnel to obtain their IDs. These must be worn at all times while in the facility.

Is Cannabis Manufacturing Legal in Saline County?

Licensed medical cannabis product manufacturing in Saline County was legalized by Amendment 98 in the State of Arkansas. The medical marijuana processor license issued by the Medical Marijuana Commission is required for a medical cannabis product manufacturing company to start operations. Holders of the Medical Marijuana Commission’s medical cannabis cultivation facility license are also authorized to manufacture medical cannabis products.

The Medical Marijuana Commission is authorized to grant an unlimited number of medical marijuana processor licenses across the state, but all licensees must comply with the Commission’s applicable licensing rules and the Alcoholic Beverage Control Division’s applicable operational rules. The same requirements concerning the location of the facility, indoor operations, and security that apply to licensed medical marijuana cultivators also apply to licensed medical marijuana processors.

Applicants for the medical marijuana processor license must pay the $5,000 application fee. Licensees must pay an equivalent initial license fee plus a $100,000 performance bond. The annual license renewal fee is also $5,000.

The Medical Cannabis Commission disallows the use of the following in manufacturing medical cannabis products:

• Denatured alcohol
• Carbon dioxide heated or pressurized above 180 degrees
• Canned and pressurized flammable fuel, such as butane
• Hydrocarbon-based solvents with less than 99 percent purity
• Non-potable water or ice
• “Class 1” solvents under the Federal Drug Administration Guidance
• Non-food grade hydrocarbon-based solvents

Medical cannabis products must be manufactured in closed but well-ventilated rooms. Electrical equipment and systems must first be approved by the municipality and must be compliant with fire and electrical codes.

To manufacture edible medical cannabis products, a medical cannabis product manufacturing licensee must comply with all regulations of the state and the municipality concerning retail food businesses. DFA and U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) standards on food products must be met by all ingredients included. The tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content in every serving of edible medical cannabis, whether as food or beverage, must not exceed 10 milligrams. If a single serving cannot be physically marked, the product must be packaged only as single servings.

Medical cannabis product manufacturing licensees are prohibited from packaging medical cannabis products to look similar to food products that are attractive to kids. Medical cannabis product packages must be sealed, child-proof, and food compliant. Moreover, they must be properly labeled in compliance with Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) guidelines.

Is Cannabis Retail Legal in Saline County?

Licensed medical cannabis retail in Saline County was legalized by the State of Arkansas’ Amendment 98. The Medical Marijuana Commission’s medical marijuana dispensary license is needed by a medical cannabis retail company before being allowed to sell medical cannabis and its products to medical cannabis cardholders. The medical cannabis cultivation facility license issued by the Commission also authorizes medical cannabis retail.

A minimum of 20 and a maximum of 40 medical cannabis dispensary facility licenses will be granted by the Medical Marijuana Commission statewide. As of July 2023, 33 medical cannabis dispensary facility licenses had been issued, with one located in the City of Alexander in Saline County.

Applicants for the medical marijuana retail license are charged a $7,500 application fee, of which half will be returned if the application is denied. Licensees are charged an initial license fee of $15,000 and a $100,000 performance bond. The yearly license renewal fee is $22,500.

The licensed medical marijuana retail facility must be compliant with municipality zoning regulations. A minimum of 1,500 feet must separate it from any daycare center, school, or church. All other applicable licensing rules of the Medical Marijuana Commission and operational rules of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Division must be observed. Requirements for location, operating indoors, and ensuring security are the same as those for licensed cultivators and manufacturers.

Licensed medical cannabis dispensaries are only allowed to operate from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Only authorized personnel and medical cannabis cardholders are allowed to enter the premises. The licensed dispensary is required to have a waiting area where the non-cardholding companion of the medical cannabis cardholder must stay.

A licensed medical cannabis dispensary is allowed to sell medical cannabis flowers and plant parts, as well as medical cannabis products in the form of oils, concentrates, waxes, extracts, vapors, edible goods, and others, with the exception of forms meant for combustion.

Every medical cannabis cardholder is allowed to purchase from a licensed medical cannabis dispensary only 2.5 ounces of usable medical cannabis every 14 days. The licensed dispensary’s personnel must validate the medical cannabis card of every purchaser on the online Arkansas Medical Marijuana System. The cardholder’s previous purchases will be seen and this will verify whether the intended purchase is still within the limit. Every sale must then be logged into the system.

Holders of valid medical cannabis cards or the equivalent from other states of the U.S. are also allowed to purchase medical cannabis and medical cannabis products from licensed dispensaries in the State of Arkansas when they come to visit.

Is Cannabis Delivery Legal in Saline County?

The Alcoholic Beverage Control Division’s medical cannabis operational rules allow licensed medical cannabis dispensaries to deliver medical cannabis and medical cannabis products to medical cannabis cardholders in Saline County, but only from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. The same operational rules also allow the delivery of medical cannabis and medical cannabis products between licensed medical cannabis businesses.

How to Get a Medical Marijuana Card in Saline County

To obtain a medical marijuana card, Saline County residents must apply on the online ADH Medical Marijuana Patient Registry System by first creating an account. They must then be diagnosed by a qualified physician with one of the following qualifying illnesses to receive a written physician’s certification:

• Peripheral neuropathy
• Post-traumatic stress disorder
• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
• Severe and persistent muscle spasms
• Hepatitis C
• Severe arthritis
• Cachexia or wasting syndrome
• Cancer
• Intractable pain not responsive to other treatments for more than six months
• Ulcerative colitis
• Tourette’s syndrome
• Seizures
• HIV/AIDS
• Fibromyalgia
• Alzheimer’s disease
• Glaucoma
• Severe nausea
• Crohn’s disease
• Other conditions that the ADH may add

Upon getting the certification, the patient has a maximum of 30 days to complete the online application. This includes submitting digital copies of the certification and a state ID, as well as paying the fee of $50.

A caregiver is required for patients younger than 18, and optional for other patients. Caregivers must also register online and pay the $50 fee. They must, however, pass a criminal background check.

A digital copy of the approved medical cannabis card will appear on the registry account of the patient and the caregiver, respectively, while the physical card is sent through the post. The medical cannabis card is valid for a year and may be renewed.

Visitors from other states who hold valid medical cannabis cards or the equivalent may apply for the State of Arkansas’ 90-day medical cannabis card on the same portal. The fee is also $50.

Queries may be sent to the following:

*Arkansas Department of Health *

4815 W. Markham St., Slot 50

Little Rock, AR 72205

Toll-Free 1-833-214-8619 or

501-682-4982

How Has Cannabis Legalization Impacted the Economy of Saline County?

The usual state sales taxes and local sales taxes are levied by Amendment 98 on all purchases of medical cannabis and medical cannabis products in the State of Arkansas. According to the 2022 Fiscal Year Report of the DFA, there were 85,192 registered patients purchasing from 38 licensed dispensaries as of June 30, 2022. Of those registered patients, 3,556 were from Saline County.

Accumulated earnings of the State of Arkansas from medical cannabis and medical cannabis products, as of May 30, 2023, exceeded $100 million. For the month of April 2023, sales reached $23.9 million, producing tax revenues of $2.85 million.

The Effects of Cannabis Legalization on Crime Rates in Saline County

Medical cannabis was legalized in Saline County in 2016.

Data sent by the Saline County Sheriff's Office to the Crime Explorer page of the FBI shows that in 2015, a year before the legalization of medical cannabis, there were six marijuana possession arrests and one marijuana sales arrest, totaling seven marijuana offense arrests.

In 2017, a year after the legalization of medical cannabis, there were 64 marijuana possession arrests, comprising all marijuana offense arrests.

In 2019, there were 35 marijuana possession arrests, also comprising all marijuana offense arrests.

In 2021, the latest data showed 18 marijuana possession arrests, still comprising all marijuana offense arrests.

The number of DUI arrests in those years was as follows:

• 2015: 14 arrests
• 2017: 43 arrests
• 2019: 69 arrests
• 2021: 28 arrests