Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

THREE DISPENSARI­ES weeks from opening in Northwest Arkansas.

- RON WOOD

FAYETTEVIL­LE — Owners of three of the four medical marijuana dispensari­es approved for Northwest Arkansas said they’re weeks away from opening after more than two years of delays.

Roger Song, one of the owners of The ReLeaf Center in Bentonvill­e, said the business plans to open early next month.

“Our goal right now is to open the first week of August. There’s some last little stuff we’re waiting on,” Song said. “We’re trying to finish up constructi­on next week.”

Song said getting equipment and inventory set up is the next step after constructi­on.

“If there’s a couple of delays, it shouldn’t be anything that’s going to extend it for weeks or months, but days,” he said. “I’m ready for the when-are-youopening phase to be done already.”

Song and his partners have a dispensary at 9400 McNelly Road in Bentonvill­e. Other ReLeaf owners are listed as Kevin Frazier, Laura Frazier and Matt Shansky.

Acanza Health Group of Little Rock is getting ready to open a dispensary in August at 2733 N. McConnell Ave. in Fayettevil­le, according to Randi Hernandez, CEO of the company.

“The best I can give you now is we’re hoping to be done with constructi­on the beginning of August. And once we have all the inspection­s, between the city and the state, we hope to be open by mid-August,” Hernandez said.

Owners are listed as Hernandez, Jancey Hutcherson, Matthew Jansen, Joseph Jansen, Grady Harvell, Darlene Hampton, Janinne Riggs and Richard Hutson.

Arkansas Medicinal Source of Fayettevil­le plans to open a dispensary at 406 Razorback Drive in Bentonvill­e in three to four weeks, pending an inspection by Arkansas Alcoholic Beverage Control, which oversees medical marijuana in Arkansas.

“ABC requested that we send a form in three weeks prior to a proposed inspection date. We’re sending our form in today,” co-owner Erik Danielson said Friday. “I don’t know that we’ll hit it, but that’s what we’re hoping, barring any unforeseen issues from either the city of Bentonvill­e or ABC or any of the other regulatory agencies. But, from a pure constructi­on side, we’re looking at that time frame.”

Owners are listed as Jeff Starling, David Starling, Aaron Crawley, Mitchell Massey, Mike Tullis, Conor Filter, Robert McLarty and Danielson.

Representa­tives from the fourth dispensary didn’t return telephone calls Friday to answer questions about their opening.

Valentine Holdings of Jonesboro has a location at 3390 W. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. in Fayettevil­le, according to filings with the state Department of Finance and Administra­tion.

Owners of Valentine Holdings are listed as Lynn Parker, Donald Parker II, T. Michelle McKee, John McKee and Ray Osment.

Doctors have issued about 15,500 patient or caregiver ID cards, which allow people to buy marijuana from dispensari­es. The dispensari­es’ sales have topped $2 million.

The Arkansas Medical Marijuana Commission has issued licenses to five cultivatio­n companies and 32 retailers around the state. Amendment 98 to the Arkansas Constituti­on allows up to eight growers and 40 dispensari­es.

The commission took more than two years to issue those licenses, and growers and retailers have been slow to become operationa­l after getting permission to proceed.

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United States