After a record year, Arkansas’ medical cannabis sales fell in the first half of 2026, even as the state’s patient count climbed.
Meanwhile, both major party gubernatorial candidates are opposing adult-use marijuana legalization.
Arkansas medical marijuana sales in 2026 reached $140.3 million through June, down 2.6% from $144 million in the same period in 2025, according to the state Department of Finance and Administration.
Arkansas medical marijuana sales totaled $291.1 million in 2025, up 5.5% over 2024 and the highest annual figure since sales began in 2019.
The Arkansas Department of Health reported 119,074 active patient cards in July, up 7.7% from 110,539 a year earlier.
What does the Arkansas medical marijuana market look like?
The state boasted 36 licensed dispensaries in the first half of 2026, down from 37 a year earlier, according to Talk Business & Politics.
State law caps the number of MMJ dispensaries in the state at 40. Secretary of Finance Jim Hudson has said he’s in no hurry to award the final medical marijuana licenses.
A Texarkana location holds a license but remains closed.
Five dispensaries drove the largest shares of statewide sales from January through June, according to the Department of Finance:
- Natural Relief Dispensary (Sherwood): 8.55%
- Suite 443 (Hot Springs): 8.02%
- CROP Dispensary (Jonesboro): 5.33%
- Harvest Dispensary (Conway): 5.32%
- Custom Cannabis (Alexander): 4.43%
State tax revenue held flat at $16.8 million, matching the first half of 2025. The figure combines the 6.5% state sales tax and the 4% privilege tax on cultivator-to-dispensary sales, the Department of Finance reported.
Do Arkansas gubernatorial candidates support adult-use marijuana legalization
Despite MMJ’s success in Arkansas, neither major party candidate for governor supports recreational legalization, according to the Arkansas Advocate.
Sitting Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who skipped a June debate and is favorited to win a second term, confirmed her opposition in an emailed statement.
“Giving more access to drugs, particularly recreational access, does nothing to help or benefit Arkansans,” Sanders wrote, according to the Advocate.
Sanders vetoed a bill that would have allowed drive-through windows at dispensaries last year. She also signed a bill into law heavily restricting hemp-derived THC.
Rather than trying to find separation from Sanders, the Democratic Party nominee, state Sen. Fred Love said he personally opposes legalization but would defer to voters.
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“I just don’t think that it is something I can support,” Love told the Advocate.
He said he would back adult-use if Arkansans approved it at the ballot box.
Arkansas voters rejected a recreational measure in 2022. Efforts to expand MMJ have also failed.
Author: MScannaBIZ
MScannaBIZ is here to make sure patients, businesses, and professionals never get left behind. We started in 2022 as a Mississippi cannabis news source, covering the legislation, the licenses, and the launches that shaped the state's emerging industry. As the Mississippi Medical Cannabis Program took shape, so did we, evolving into the state's most comprehensive cannabis platform. Today MScannaBIZ is Mississippi's premier destination for finding licensed dispensaries, booking certified cannabis doctors, discovering deals and events, and staying informed with the latest industry news. With over 300 businesses in our directory and new listings added daily, we're the most complete cannabis resource in the state. Our mission is simple make Mississippi's medical cannabis ecosystem accessible, transparent, and thriving for everyone in it.