Arkansas Cannabis Legislation & Compliance

ARSTEMS 2.0 Transition Notice

Arkansas licensees must prepare for the mandatory transition to the updated BioTrack system. To review system implementation guidelines, support infrastructure, and the 30-day environment testing overview, access the official document below:

→ ARSTEMS 2.0 Training and Testing Communication (PDF)

To facilitate a seamless deployment, live training sessions are structured below by operational license type. These webinars cover essential tracking adjustments, technical system changes, and critical workflows required ahead of the system go-live date.

ARSTEMS 2.0 Live Training Schedule

Official Arkansas Traceability API Manuals

Technical resources, integration protocols, and configuration scripts for software deployment:

• Arkansas Traceability API - XML Integration Schema
• Arkansas Traceability API - JSON Developer Guide
• Complete Core API Directory Documentation

Regulatory Framework & Oversight

Arkansas operates a highly structured, medical-only cannabis market established under the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Amendment (Amendment 98). Commercial adult-use (recreational) cannabis remains fully prohibited. Statuary governance and compliance enforcement are divided across three specialized state bodies:

• Arkansas Medical Marijuana Commission (AMMC): Responsible for evaluating, administering, and issuing commercial operating licenses for cultivation facilities, processors, and dispensaries.
• Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) Division: Manages daily field enforcement, operational compliance, site security protocols, marketing/advertising restrictions, and physical facility inspections.
• Arkansas Department of Health (ADH): Directs the secure patient and caregiver registry index, processes card medical issuances, and oversees laboratory certification criteria.

Operational Prerequisites & Disqualifications

Commercial entities seeking licensure within Arkansas must meet strict corporate structure, financial capability, and residency thresholds:

• Financial Capacity: Applicants must secure a $200,000 corporate surety bond and demonstrate a minimum of $100,000 in continuous liquid assets.
• Statutory Residency: All principal applicants, equity owners, corporate officers, and board members must be at least 21 years of age and hold proof of uninterrupted Arkansas residency for the seven consecutive years preceding the application date.
• Ownership Concentration Limits: To prevent market monopolization, an individual or corporate entity is legally prohibited from holding an ownership interest in more than one cultivation facility and one dispensary location within the state.
• Criminal Disqualification: Any prior felony conviction serves as an absolute statutory bar from business ownership, operational licensure, or facility employment.

Background Screenings & Registry Identification

All owners, officers, board members, supervisors, on-site employees, and operational volunteers must submit biometric fingerprints and explicit authorization to the Arkansas State Police for a complete state and federal criminal history check. Approved personnel must secure an active official registry identification badge before performing any work inside a licensed facility footprint.

Statutory License Scopes

• Cultivation Facilities: Authorized to cultivate, harvest, prepare, manufacture, process, pack, and distribute usable medical cannabis products exclusively to certified processing facilities and licensed dispensaries.
• Dispensary Facilities: Authorized to acquire seedlings, immature plants, and processed medical cannabis from licensed cultivation facilities or sister dispensaries, and retail them to validated, registered patients and certified caregivers.