Arkansas GOP Governor Vetoes Bill To Allow Drive-Thru Medical Marijuana Sales At Dispensaries And Ease Delivery Rules

The Republican governor of Arkansas has vetoed a bill that would have allowed medical cannabis sales at drive-thru windows at dispensaries, while also easing certain rules around marijuana delivery services for patients and caregivers.

After the legislation from Rep. Aaron Pilkington (R) narrowly advanced through the legislature, Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R) returned the measure with a veto message on Wednesday.

“This legislation would expand access to usable marijuana, therefore I am vetoing this legislation,” Sanders said.

Under the bill, licensed dispensaries would be have been authorized to “deliver usable marijuana to a qualified patient or designated caregiver via a drive-through window located at the dispensary,” the text says.

People would have needed to place an online order and pick up their products on the same day of the transaction.

The measure also would have revised existing statute to allow visitors to tour dispensaries in additional to cultivation facilities. And it would have made it so conventional medical cannabis deliveries could be handled by one employee, instead of the current minimum of two, if additional security measures were taken.

The governor didn’t address any of the specifics of the bill, instead simply voicing opposition to the idea of expanding access to cannabis.

That’s despite the fact the Sanders signed a separate measure into law in February to use medical marijuana tax revenue to fund free school breakfasts for students. If lawful patient access was expanded, it would likely mean more tax dollars for that initiative.

Ahead of last year’s election, the governor opposed a ballot initiative that would have expanded Arkansas’s medical marijuana program—a measure ultimately scuttled by the state Supreme Court.

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A survey found that a majority of likely voters in Arkansas were in favor of the initiative.

Despite her opposition to the proposal, Sanders has been open to maintaining the existing medical cannabis program and adopting other modest reforms. For example, in 2023 she signed a bill into law clarifying that medical marijuana patients can obtain concealed carry licenses for firearms despite federal law still prohibiting cannabis users from possessing guns.

The state’s medical marijuana has proved popular since its implementation in 2019, with officials announcing last May that at least 102,000 residents have registered for patient cards, exceeding expectations.

However, Arkansas voters rejected a ballot initiative to more broadly legalize marijuana for adults in 2022.

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Photo courtesy of Philip Steffan.