Medical cannabis cultivation and dispensary applications in Arkansas are still slow, and Russellville Planning Commissioners have struck down a proposal from one of just two dispensary applicants, the Courier News reports. The commission voted 4-2 against the dispensary’s special use permit due to its proposed location near a church and a “high traffic area.”
Planning Commission Secretary Wendell Miller said that while he agreed with what the dispensary was doing he didn’t agree with where they were doing it.
“I don’t think that’s the environment we want to have that close to a church,” he said in the report.
David Cannon, the attorney for the would-be dispensary owners, said that the business could generate as much as $258,000 per month, worth as much as $2,600 in sales tax revenues, because the county it would be located in could have as many as 900 patients, with another 100 coming from nearby Yell, Johnson, and Conway counties.
Arkansas’ medical cannabis rules allow 32 dispensaries throughout the state and, despite the lack of applications currently, officials are still anticipating applicants will submit proposals to the department as the Sept. 18 deadline draws near.
In a report from National Public Radio affiliate KUAR, Rep. Doug House said he expects “a mad rush” on the last day.
The Arkansas Department of Health reports that they have approved 769 medical cannabis patient applications in the state.
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