BENTONVILLE -- Northwest Arkansas' second medical marijuana dispensary opened Thursday morning.
The Source, formerly called the Arkansas Medicinal Source Patient Center, opened at 404 Razorback Drive. Its debut came about a week after the opening of the region's first dispensary, The ReLeaf Center at 9400 E. McNelly Road.
In contrast to the long lines at The ReLeaf Center, fewer than a dozen people were waiting outside The Source before 8 a.m., its scheduled opening time.
"I'm kind of glad we don't have a madhouse," Erik Danielson, with the business, said Thursday. "We're just glad to be up and running."
ReLeaf served an estimated 287 patients its opening day, Aug. 7, and couldn't serve all of the customers who arrived despite being open from around 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.
The Source served 79 patients as of about 1:50 p.m. Thursday and planned to stay open until 10 p.m., Danielson said. He said the dispensary had a steady stream of customers, but no large crowds.
The Source has been in the works for about three years, Danielson said. Arkansas voters approved the legalization of medical marijuana in 2016, but legal and regulatory hurdles slowed the program's rollout. The first dispensary, Doctor's Orders, opened May 10 in Hot Springs. The Source is the state's eighth open dispensary.
"I choose medical marijuana because I like the way it makes me feel, and it helps me manage my pain," said Brenna Hawkins, who bought medical marijuana from The Source.
The 34-year-old Bentonville resident has fibromyalgia and migraine headaches, she said. She has been prescribed opioids and has had injections in her neck. Hawkins said she would prefer to use only marijuana and has traveled to a dispensary about 200 miles away in Hot Springs.
Chris Green, 40, of Fayetteville was at The Source on Thursday. The Army veteran said he needs medical marijuana to help with stomach problems he suffers after a surgery he had when he got out of the Army in 2002.
The dispensary offers traditional marijuana, as well as other forms, such as edibles and concentrated oils. The dispensary's regular hours will be 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.
A patient or caregiver ID card is necessary to purchase the marijuana. More than 18,600 people in Arkansas had cards as of Aug. 9, according to the Arkansas Department of Health.
Dispensaries in Arkansas sold a total of about $5.28 million, or about 730 pounds, of marijuana as of Tuesday afternoon, said Scott Hardin, spokesman for the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration.
Metro on 08/16/2019