Arkansas Cannabis Laws: Medical Card Fee, Conditions, Renewal and Dispensary Licenses

The Arkansas State Capitol in Little Rock with its pale dome and colonnade under a cloudy blue sky — The Arkansas State Capitol in Little Rock, a Texas neighbor. Photo by w_lemay via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0. Cropped and resized.

Last verified November 13, 2026. Facts come from the agency or source linked on this page. Where sources conflict or we could not confirm something, we say so.

How the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Card Works
Qualifying Conditions
Open a Dispensary
Timeline
FAQ
Related Reading

Arkansas at a Glance

Adult UseNot legal.

Card Fee$50 per year, set by Department of Health rules. A convenience fee may apply to card payments.

Card ValidityExpires one year after issuance.

Caregivers21 or older, a background check, and a patient who is a minor or marked physically disabled on the physician's form.

Visiting Patients$50 non-refundable fee. If approved, they may buy for a 90-day period per application.

Dispensary License$7,500 application, $15,000 license fee and $22,500 annual renewal per the Commission's rules. No more than four dispensaries per county.

Arkansas Patient Checklist

See a physician who can give you a written certification for a qualifying condition.
Apply to the Arkansas Department of Health for your registry identification card and pay $50.
If a caregiver is needed, have them apply separately and pay their own $50 fee.
Keep track of your one-year expiration and renew before it passes.
If you visit from out of state, plan for a separate $50 non-refundable visiting patient fee.

Card Cost Planner

Add up card fees over the years you plan to hold a Arkansas card.

Years you plan to hold a card

Renewal Date Finder

Enter your approval date to estimate when it expires.

Approval date

How the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Card Works

The Arkansas Department of Health runs the registry. Department rules set the application fee for a qualifying patient registry card at $50, and the Department may require a convenience fee when you pay by credit card. A registry identification card expires one year after issuance, and a physician's written certification is required.

Caregivers: a designated caregiver must be 21 or older, must pass a criminal background check, and may serve a patient who is a minor or marked as physically disabled on the physician's form. Each caregiver applies separately and pays their own fee.
Visiting patients: out-of-state patients pay a $50 non-refundable fee and, if approved, may buy for a 90-day period per application.
Processing: third-party sources say a complete renewal takes up to two weeks. The Department's own timing was not in the pages we read.

Qualifying Conditions

The state's list includes cancer, glaucoma, HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis C, ALS, Tourette's syndrome, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, PTSD, severe arthritis, fibromyalgia, Alzheimer's disease, cachexia and peripheral neuropathy. It also covers intractable pain, which is pain that has not responded to ordinary medications, treatment or surgery for more than six months, as well as severe nausea, seizures and severe muscle spasms.

Some third-party sites say first-time certification must happen in person and renewals can use telehealth, while others disagree. Ask the Department of Health or your physician which rules apply to you.

Opening a Dispensary in Arkansas

Windows only, near cap Regulator: Arkansas Department of Health, Medical Marijuana

Amendment 98 caps the initial dispensary application fee at $7,500 and the initial cultivation facility application fee at $15,000. The Medical Marijuana Commission's administrative code sets the dispensary application fee at $7,500 in cash or certified funds, with $3,750 refunded to applicants who are not successful. An older Department of Finance and Administration rules document lists a $15,000 dispensary license fee due within seven days of selection and a $22,500 annual renewal, and a 2026 proposed rule draft also references the $15,000 figure. The cultivation facility license fee is $100,000. Some guides list $25,000 to $100,000 for a dispensary license or a $32,000 renewal. Those conflict with the rules, so we did not use them. The amendment allows no more than four dispensaries in any one county. Guides say applications open only when the Commission announces a window and that the market is at or near its cap. One guide counts 40 dispensary licenses with 38 operating and 8 cultivators, but we did not find a statewide cap in the amendment text we reached.

License	Application Fee	License Fee	Renewal	Notes
Dispensary	$7,500 ($3,750 refunded if unsuccessful)	$15,000, due within 7 days of selection	$22,500 per year	No more than four dispensaries per county. Older rules document, so confirm.
Cultivation facility	Up to $15,000 (amendment cap)	$100,000	Not found	One guide reports eight cultivators.

What to Plan For

No more than four dispensaries in any one county.
Applications open only when the Commission announces a window.
The fee rules we found are from an older document, so confirm the current amounts with the Commission.

Startup Budget Planner

The sourced state fees are filled in. Enter your own quotes for the rest. We do not estimate build-out or inventory because they vary by site and operator.

Dispensary application fee: $7,500
Cash or certified funds. $3,750 is refunded if you are not selected.
Dispensary license fee: $15,000
Due within seven days of selection. Annual renewal is $22,500.

Lease deposit and build-outSecurity and technologyOpening inventoryInsurance and legalWorking capitalLocal permits and fees

Fees are only part of the cost. Federal law still applies to cannabis businesses, so talk to a cannabis attorney and an accountant before you commit money. Fee figures come from the sources below and change, so confirm them with the regulator. Related reading: CannaWize Business Desk, 280E and Schedule III for Cannabis Businesses, Cannabis Banking Costs and the GAO Report, Licensing Lawsuits and State Markets.

Business sources:

How Arkansas Compares


Arizona	Legal	Active	$150 per two years	2 years	Fees disputed
Arkansas	Not legal	Active	$50 per year	1 year	$7,500 + $15,000
California	Legal	Optional county card	Varies by county	Varies	$1,000 + $2,500 to $96,000
Colorado	Legal	Active	$52 per year	1 year	About $3,120 state + local
Florida	Not legal	Active	$75 per year	1 year	No window open (Oct. 2026 guide)
Georgia	Not legal	Active	$75 from Dec. 5, 2026	Not stated	$5,000 + tiered fees
Illinois	Legal	Active	$50 per year	1 to 3 years	$5,000 + $60,000
Louisiana	Not legal	Active	Not found	Up to 12 months	$22,500 per year (disputed)
Massachusetts	Legal	Active	Free registration	Not stated	$1,500 + $10,000
Michigan	Legal	Active	$40 per two years	2 years	$3,000 + $15,000
Missouri	Legal	Active	$28.92 renewal per three years	3 years	Microbusiness lottery, about $1,637
New Jersey	Legal	Active	Free digital, $10 printed	2 years	Conditional route, $1,000 up front
New Mexico	Legal	Active	No state fee (reported)	Not stated	$2,500 per year (reported)
New York	Legal	Active	No state fee	Not stated	$1,000 + $7,000
North Carolina	Not legal	None	No program	Not applicable	No state license
Ohio	Legal	Active	No state fee per Division FAQ	1 year	Capped at 400
Oklahoma	Not legal	Active	$100 per two years	2 years	Moratorium to Aug. 1, 2028
Pennsylvania	Not legal	Active	$50 per year	Up to 1 year	Closed per one 2026 guide
Texas	Not legal	Active	See guide	See guide	See guide
Virginia	Legal, no stores yet	Active	$50 per year	Up to 1 year	Opens Feb. 1, 2027 (draft)

Arkansas Cannabis Timeline

2016Voters pass the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Amendment.

Arkansas Cannabis Bills

Not confirmed No specific bill: No 2026 or 2027 Arkansas cannabis bill was confirmed in this review.

See every state in the cannabis bill tracker.

Frequently Asked Questions About Arkansas Cannabis Laws

Is marijuana legal in Arkansas?

Only through the medical program. Adult use is not legal.

How much is an Arkansas medical marijuana card?

$50 per year under Department of Health rules, with a possible convenience fee for card payments.

How long does an Arkansas card last?

One year from the date of issuance.

Can caregivers get a card?

Yes. Caregivers must be 21 or older, pass a background check, and apply and pay separately. The patient must be a minor or marked physically disabled on the physician's form.

Can out-of-state patients buy in Arkansas?

Visiting patients pay a $50 non-refundable fee and, if approved, may buy for a 90-day period per application.

How much does an Arkansas dispensary license cost?

The Commission's rules list a $7,500 application fee, with $3,750 refunded if you are not selected, a $15,000 license fee and a $22,500 annual renewal. No more than four dispensaries are allowed per county, and applications open only in announced windows.