Is Weed Legal in Arkansas? Medical Marijuana Laws 2026

Medical only: what is legal in Arkansas

Arkansas is a medical-only state. Recreational cannabis is illegal. The rules come from Amendment 98 of the Arkansas Constitution (the Medical Marijuana Amendment of 2016) and the Arkansas Department of Health patient registry.

If you have a qualifying medical condition and a valid Arkansas Medical Marijuana Registry Identification Card, you may purchase usable marijuana from a licensed dispensary. Without that card, possession remains a crime under Arkansas law.

Possession limit: 2.5 ounces every rolling 14 days

Registered qualifying patients and designated caregivers may purchase up to 2.5 ounces of usable marijuana from licensed dispensaries in any rolling 14-day period. That cap is statewide, not per store. Each purchase counts against your balance for 14 days from the date of that purchase. The balance does not reset on a fixed calendar.

Example: If you buy 1.5 ounces on Monday, you have 1.0 ounce left for the next 13 days. A second 1.5-ounce purchase on Friday would put you over the limit, and a dispensary must refuse the sale.

Cards are issued by the Arkansas Department of Health. The state application fee is $50 and is non-refundable. Resident cards are valid for up to one year, or a shorter period if your physician writes one. You may renew as early as 60 days before expiration. Processing typically takes up to 14 days. Arkansas does not issue temporary cards.

The 18 qualifying conditions under Amendment 98

Amendment 98 lists 12 named diagnoses and six symptom pathways.

Named conditions: cancer, glaucoma, HIV/AIDS, hepatitis C, ALS, Tourette’s syndrome, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, PTSD, severe arthritis, fibromyalgia, and Alzheimer’s disease.

Symptom pathways (tied to a chronic or debilitating disease or its treatment): cachexia or wasting syndrome; peripheral neuropathy; intractable pain that has not responded to ordinary medications, treatment, or surgical measures for more than six months; severe nausea; seizures, including those characteristic of epilepsy; and severe and persistent muscle spasms, including those characteristic of multiple sclerosis.

Example: Generalized anxiety, insomnia, migraines, and depression by themselves are not on the list. Intractable pain qualifies only if ordinary treatment has failed for at least six months and that history is documented.

A licensed Arkansas physician (MD or DO) must complete a written certification. First-time evaluations are in person. You then apply through the official ADH portal at mmj.adh.arkansas.gov.

What Arkansas medical marijuana laws do not allow

• No home grow. Patients and caregivers may not cultivate marijuana. Possession of grow equipment with intent to grow can be charged as a felony.
• No recreational use. Voters rejected Issue 4 in 2022. Buying or possessing cannabis without a registry card remains illegal.
• No public use. You may not use medical marijuana in a motor vehicle, on school grounds, in a correctional facility, on a school bus, in a residence used for licensed childcare, or in any public place where you could reasonably be observed.
• No impaired driving. A card is not a defense to DWI.
• No military or Guard cards. Active U.S. military and Arkansas National Guard members cannot hold a patient or caregiver card under 2017 legislation.

Employers may not fire you solely for holding a card, but they may still prohibit use or impairment at work — especially in safety-sensitive jobs.

Caregivers and visiting patients

Minors cannot buy from a dispensary. A parent or guardian must register as a designated caregiver. Caregivers must generally be 21 or older, pay the $50 application fee plus a background-check fee in most cases, and may not consume medicine purchased for the patient. Parents applying for their own minor child are exempt from the background check.

Out-of-state cards are not honored at the counter. Visitors apply for a 90-day visiting patient card ($50). The home-state condition must also be an Arkansas qualifying condition.

Get certified in Mountain View

Ozark Medical Care provides physician written certifications for qualifying Arkansas patients. Book an evaluation, then apply with ADH. Download the one-page law summary for the limits, the 18 conditions, and the places use is banned.

Book a certification
Download PDF law summary

Related guides:
How to get an Arkansas medical marijuana card ·
Qualifying conditions ·
Arkansas medical marijuana doctors

This page is educational and is not legal or medical advice. Confirm current rules with the Arkansas Department of Health.