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Arkansas' First Medical Marijuana Dispensary Opens

Courtesy: Chuck Smith / Red River Radio News

ARK POT DISPENSARY OPENS -  After a slow start the first Medical Marijuana Dispensary  in Arkansas has opened Last Friday,   Scott Hardin is spokesman for the state Alcohol Beverage Control, which oversees Medical Marijuana Dispensaries in Arkansas-

"The first dispensary in the state, Doctors Orders - is now approved to open for business," Hardin said.

Doctors Orders opened it’s doors to qualified medical marijuana recipients on Malvern Avenue in Hot Springs.  Don Sears owns Doctors Orders said in a released statement said Friday’s opening was a bit of a trial run due to the slow process caused by the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Commission’s state-mandated software  that allows dispensaries to tie each sale to a qualified medical marijuana cardholder. Patients who hold a valid physician issued medical marijuana card will be served on a first-come, first-served basis as the product will be limited.

After the dispensary’s unceremonious opening  more than two-and-a-half-years after Arkansas voters approved a constitutional amendment to legalize  for medical use in the November 2016 election, The ABC Board's Hardin shared this observation.

“We’re certainly excited to be at this point, and after it’s passing in November 2016, we’re finally there,” Hardin explained.

There are a total of 3 state-licensed cultivation facilities currently growing marijuana,  more are currently under construction. Another dispensary also located in Hot Springs will be undergoing state inspection this week and is expected to open soon after. There have been 32 medical cannabis dispensaries approved by Arkansas regulators in early January to sell medical marijuana. However, many of these are not expected to open until the second half of 2019 and early 2020.

Chuck Smith brings more than 30 years' broadcast and media experience to Red River Radio. He began his career as a radio news reporter and transitioned to television journalism and newsmagazine production. Chuck studied mass communications at Southern Arkansas University in Magnolia and motion picture / television production at the University of California at Los Angeles. He has also taught writing for television at York Technical College in Rock Hill, South Carolina and video / film production at Centenary College of Louisiana, Shreveport.