Who Qualifies for an Arkansas Medical Marijuana Card?
Arkansas medical marijuana qualifying conditions are set by Amendment 98 § 2(13). A licensed Arkansas physician must certify a listed condition on the official ADH form. Having a condition on this list does not automatically approve a card. Anxiety is not a qualifying condition. Last verified: 17 September 2026. Cite the statute and the live ADH Medical Marijuana FAQs.
The 18 official qualifying conditions
Publish order matches the statute. Do not invent a 19th condition. The statutory phrase is intractable pain, not “chronic pain.”
Named diseases (12)
- Cancer — Example: a patient receiving chemotherapy who needs physician-supervised symptom support.
- Glaucoma — Example: elevated eye pressure from open-angle glaucoma monitored by an eye doctor.
- HIV/AIDS — Example: a patient living with HIV with treatment-related appetite loss or other certified symptoms.
- Hepatitis C — Example: chronic hepatitis C with physician-documented symptoms that meet certification criteria.
- Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) — Example: progressive muscle weakness and spasms managed by a neurologist.
- Tourette’s syndrome — Example: frequent motor or vocal tics that interfere with school or work.
- Crohn’s disease — Example: inflammatory bowel flares with pain and poor appetite under GI care.
- Ulcerative colitis — Example: recurrent colon inflammation with urgency and abdominal pain.
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) — Example: combat or trauma-related PTSD with nightmares and hypervigilance diagnosed by a qualified clinician.
- Severe arthritis — Example: advanced rheumatoid or osteoarthritis that severely limits walking or daily tasks.
- Fibromyalgia — Example: widespread chronic pain and fatigue that persists despite standard care.
- Alzheimer’s disease — Example: progressive memory loss and agitation under neurologic care.
Symptom pathways (6)
- Cachexia or wasting syndrome — Example: severe unintended weight loss from a chronic illness or its treatment.
- Peripheral neuropathy — Example: burning or numb feet from diabetic neuropathy that disrupts sleep.
- Intractable pain — Pain that has not responded to ordinary medications, treatment, or surgical measures for more than six months.
- Severe nausea — Example: intense nausea from chemotherapy or another qualifying illness that limits eating and hydration.
- Seizures, including those characteristic of epilepsy.
- Severe and persistent muscle spasms, including those characteristic of multiple sclerosis.
Named diseases vs symptom pathways
Named diseases are discrete diagnoses (for example PTSD or cancer). Symptom pathways require the physician to document that the statutory definition is met—especially for intractable pain. Only conditions on the official ADH form are accepted; handwritten write-ins are not.
Does anxiety qualify in Arkansas?
Anxiety is not a qualifying condition
Anxiety is not a qualifying condition in Arkansas. Trauma-linked symptoms may be evaluated under PTSD when a clinician has made that diagnosis. Do not coach patients to re-label a diagnosis.
Conditions that are not on the list
Depression, insomnia, migraines, ADHD, autism, and opioid use disorder are not on the Amendment 98 list.
Does chronic pain qualify?
Intractable pain, not “chronic pain”
Chronic pain qualifies only if it meets the intractable-pain definition: no response to ordinary medications, treatment, or surgical measures for more than six months. A physician must certify that standard on the ADH form.
Other eligibility rules (age, residency, military bar)
Applicants generally need Arkansas residency documentation (driver’s license or state ID) for a standard patient card. Minors may qualify with a parent or legal guardian registered as caregiver; the minor does not buy. U.S. military members and Arkansas National Guard members are barred from cards. Out-of-state patients use the 90-day visiting patient pathway if their condition also qualifies here—see how to get a card for the application sequence.
How a physician certifies a condition
An Arkansas-licensed MD or DO with DEA registration completes the official Physician Written Certification after establishing a bona fide relationship. First visits are in person; renewals may use telehealth. Next steps: book with Arkansas medical marijuana doctors, then complete the official ADH application. Clinic fees are separate from the $50 ADH fee—see medical marijuana card cost.
Official ADH registry portal: https://mmj.adh.arkansas.gov
Can new conditions be added?
ADH petition process
ADH accepts petitions to add conditions. As of 2026, no new condition has been added to the original Amendment 98 list of 18.
FAQs
How many qualifying conditions does Arkansas have?
18.
Does anxiety qualify?
No.
Does PTSD qualify?
Yes.
Can a minor qualify?
Yes, with a parent/guardian caregiver.
Do I automatically get a card if I have a listed condition?
No. You still need a physician written certification and an approved ADH application.
Last verified: 17 September 2026.