By The Arkadelphian

CADDO VALLEY — Local medical marijuana sales saw no major influx in May, according to the state’s Department of Finance and Administration.

Enlightened Cannabis for People, which opened in July 2020 as one of the state’s 40 allowed dispensaries, sold 23.56 pounds of medical marijuana in May. The dispensary sold 23.78 pounds in March.

A total of 3,917 pounds were purchased in Arkansas in May; medical marijuana patients spent $22.45 million last month. The top sales from May happened at Sherwood’s Natural Relief Dispensary, at 377 pounds sold while The Releaf Center in Bentonville followed with 314 pounds.

In 2021, Enlightened contributed to 227 pounds of the total 40,347 pounds sold in Arkansas, according to information from DFA.

Statewide sales for the first four months of 2022 total $112 million and 19,595 pounds.

“Through the first five months of 2022, an average of $741,000 is spent each day across the state’s 38 dispensaries to purchase medical marijuana,” said Scott Hardin, spokesperson for the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration. “If this continues, sales for 2022 will be comparable to 2021 sales, which totaled $264 million at the end of the year. State tax collection on medical marijuana was $2.68 million in May. Overall, $70.65 million has been collected by the state since mid-2019. Although sales in May were slightly lower than April, the state surpassed a significant milestone as more than 100,000 pounds of medical marijuana have been sold since the first dispensary opened in May 2019. The 3,917 pounds sold in May brought the total to 102,710 pounds.”

The Arkansas Department of Health reports 82,762 active patient cards. Patients may purchase a total of 2.5 ounces of medical marijuana every 14 days, with sales tracked via patient cards and a statewide database. Each plant is also tracked by the state’s “seed to sale” software.