Arkansas Marijuana Laws (2026): A Beginner’s Guide
Quick answer: Recreational marijuana is not legal in Arkansas, but medical marijuana is. Registered patients can buy up to 2.5 ounces every 14 days from licensed dispensaries, and visitors with a medical card from another state can apply for a 90-day visiting patient card. Home growing is not allowed for anyone.
Last verified: October 20, 2026, against the Arkansas Department of Health medical marijuana program. Laws change, so check the official site before you travel or buy.
| Recreational | No. Not legalized |
|---|---|
| Medical | Yes. Voters approved Amendment 98 in 2016 |
| Minimum age | 18 for a patient card (minors need a parent or guardian as caregiver) |
| Possession limit | Patients: 2.5 ounces per 14 days. Non-patients: none (any amount is a crime) |
| Home grow | Not allowed |
| Public use | Not allowed, and not in any motor vehicle |
| Driving limit/DUI rule | No THC number. Driving while intoxicated by any drug is DWI |
| Medical card for visitors | Yes. Visiting patient card, $50, valid 90 days |
Is weed legal in Arkansas?
Only with a medical card. Arkansas voters approved the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Amendment (Amendment 98) in November 2016, and dispensaries opened in 2019. Recreational use? Err… no. An adult-use amendment failed at the ballot box in 2022, and a 2024 medical expansion measure was thrown out by the Arkansas Supreme Court before its votes were counted.
On the federal side, recreational marijuana remains Schedule I. In April 2026, marijuana sold under a state medical license, along with FDA-approved products, moved to Schedule III, and broader rescheduling was paused on September 29, 2026. That helps Arkansas’s licensed medical businesses, but it doesn’t legalize anything for people without a card.
How to get a medical card
The Arkansas Department of Health lists these requirements:
- Be 18 or older, or be a minor whose parent or guardian applies as a caregiver.
- Be diagnosed with a qualifying condition.
- Get the official written certification form from a physician.
- Be an Arkansas resident with an Arkansas driver’s license or state ID.
Qualifying conditions include cancer, glaucoma, HIV/AIDS, hepatitis C, ALS, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, PTSD, severe arthritis, fibromyalgia, Alzheimer’s disease, Tourette’s syndrome, multiple sclerosis, peripheral neuropathy, intractable pain and chronic conditions that cause wasting, severe nausea, seizures or severe muscle spasms. The application fee is $50, and cards are valid for up to one year. Members of the Arkansas National Guard and the U.S. military can’t get a card under state law.
Where can you buy?
Only at dispensaries licensed by the state’s Medical Marijuana Commission, and only with a valid Arkansas registry card or visiting patient card. Your card has to be active at the time of purchase. If it expires before your renewal is approved, you can’t buy until the new card arrives.
How much can patients buy or possess?
Patients and caregivers can buy up to 2.5 ounces of usable marijuana every 14 days. Dispensaries also sell concentrates and edibles; the state tracks purchases so you stay within the limit, and the dispensary can tell you how each product counts. For anyone without a card, there’s no legal amount.
Can you grow your own?
No. Amendment 98 doesn’t allow home cultivation, even for patients. Only licensed cultivators can grow, and growing at home is treated as possession or manufacturing under criminal law.
Where can you use it?
The Department of Health’s rules are strict. Medical marijuana can’t be used:
- In any public place where others could reasonably see you, including state or local government buildings
- In any motor vehicle
- On a school bus, or on the grounds of a preschool, primary or secondary school
- In a correctional facility or health care facility
- In a private home used for licensed child care or similar care services
- Anywhere smoking is banned by the Clean Indoor Air Act of 2006
- Knowingly in close proximity to anyone under 18
In practice, that means your own home, out of sight, and away from kids.
Can you drive after using?
No. Arkansas has no THC blood limit, but driving while intoxicated by any controlled substance is DWI, and being a card holder doesn’t help. Remember that using medical marijuana inside any vehicle is banned too, even when parked.
Can you take it out of state?
No. Crossing state lines with marijuana is illegal under federal law, even between two medical states. That includes trips to Missouri, which sells adult-use cannabis, and Oklahoma, which has a large medical program. Buy and use cannabis only in the state where it’s legal for you, and leave it there.
Visiting Arkansas with a medical card
Arkansas is one of the friendlier medical states for travelers. If you hold a medical marijuana card from another state, you can apply online for a visiting patient card. Your condition must also qualify under Arkansas law. The fee is $50, processing takes up to 14 days, and an approved card lets you buy at Arkansas dispensaries for 90 days per application. Apply well before your trip.
Can your employer fire you?
It depends. Amendment 98 bars employers from punishing workers just for being registered patients. But employers can still act against employees who use, possess or are impaired at work, and workers in safety-sensitive jobs can be excluded. Federal rules, such as those for commercial drivers, still apply.
What are the penalties?
Without a card, Arkansas treats marijuana as a crime:
- Possession of less than 4 ounces: Class A misdemeanor, up to 1 year in jail and a $2,500 fine. Repeat offenders with several prior drug convictions can face a felony.
- 4 ounces to under 10 pounds: Class D felony, up to 6 years.
- Delivering 14 grams or less: Class A misdemeanor, even without payment.
- Delivering more than 14 grams: Felony.
- Larger amounts: Felonies with mandatory minimum prison terms.
About hemp: under the federal hemp law passed in November 2025, intoxicating hemp-THC products like delta-8 and THCA flower lose their legal status, with the main provisions taking effect December 11, 2026. Arkansas has also tried to restrict these products under state law, so don’t count on gas-station THC as a legal workaround.
Compare states on our marijuana law hub.
Arkansas marijuana law FAQ
Is recreational weed legal in Arkansas in 2026?
No. Recreational marijuana is not legal in Arkansas in 2026. Only registered medical patients can legally buy and possess marijuana, and possession of less than 4 ounces without a card is a misdemeanor with up to a year in jail.
Can I use my out-of-state medical card in Arkansas?
Not by itself. Visitors with a medical card from another state must apply online for an Arkansas visiting patient card. It costs $50, your condition must qualify in Arkansas, and an approved card lets you buy from Arkansas dispensaries for 90 days.
How much medical marijuana can you buy in Arkansas?
Registered Arkansas patients and caregivers can buy up to 2.5 ounces of usable marijuana every 14 days from licensed dispensaries. Every purchase is tracked against that 14-day limit.
Can Arkansas medical patients grow marijuana?
No. Arkansas’s medical marijuana amendment doesn’t allow home growing for anyone, including registered patients. All medical marijuana must come from state-licensed cultivators and dispensaries.
How much does an Arkansas medical marijuana card cost?
The Arkansas Department of Health charges a non-refundable $50 fee for a patient card application or renewal, and $50 for a 90-day visiting patient card. Physician visit fees are separate and set by the doctor.