Medical marijuana sales brisk

Medical marijuana sales in Arkansas have topped $200 million since the state’s first legal sale of the drug in May 2019, the state revenue agency said Thursday.

The sales report the Department of Finance and Administration released Thursday reported $200.7 million in sales on 30,648 pounds sold through Wednesday. Daily sales averaged $ 622,727 during the

22- day reporting period that ended Wednesday, beating the

$562,500 reported during the 16day reporting period that ended Nov. 24.

Suite 443 and Green Springs Medical, Garland County’s two licensed dispensaries, were third and 12th in sales during the most recent reporting period. Suite 443 reported 170 pounds in sales, and Green Springs reported 58.43 pounds. They ranked fifth and 12th during the 16-day reporting period that ended Nov. 24 and the 25-day period that ended Nov. 8.

The ReLeaf Center in Bentonville has closed within 70.82 pounds of Green Springs’ overall sales lead of 3,414.22 pounds. The 212.83 pounds the Benton County location reported in sales during the 22-day period that ended Wednesday topped all 31 dispensaries in operation. It ranked second during the 16day period that ended Nov. 24.

Green Springs opened in May 2019, and The ReLeaf Cen

ter opened that August. The latter has led five of the last six sales reports.

The 182.7 pounds Sherwood’s Natural Relief reported ranked second during the most recent reporting period. Its 123.28 pounds in reported sales led the 16-day period that ended Nov. 24.

Acanza in Fayetteville and Plant Family Therapeutics in Mountain Home ranked fourth and fifth during the most recent reporting period, reporting sales of 123.03 pounds and 121.71 pounds.

The Tax Procedure Act prohibits the state from releasing revenue figures for individual dispensaries.

The Medical Marijuana Commission voted last week to not open the application process for the final dispensary license allocated to Zone 6, which includes Garland County. The eight-county zone extends from Saline, Perry and Grant counties to the east and the Oklahoma border to the west.

Each of the state’s eight zones were allocated five of the 40 dispensary licenses allowed by the Medical Marijuana Amendment voters approved in 2016. Zone 6 was allotted four of the initial 32 licenses the commission awarded, with all four going to Garland and Saline county applicants. Several commissioners said the zone’s remaining license should be held for applicants in other counties to better serve patients in those areas.