Arkansas Medical Marijuana Reciprocity — Visiting-Patient Card

How Arkansas Handles Out-of-State Cards

Unlike Nevada, which honors out-of-state cards automatically at the dispensary counter, Arkansas requires out-of-state patients to apply for an Arkansas Visiting-Patient Card before purchasing. This is a state-issued temporary registration, not direct reciprocity. The pathway was added to Amendment 98 in § 2(18) and is administered by the ADH Medical Marijuana Section.

Eligibility for the 30-Day Visiting-Patient Card

To apply you must:

• Be a resident of a U.S. state with an active, regulated medical-cannabis program.
• Hold a valid (non-expired) medical card from your home state.
• Have a qualifying condition that matches your home-state card. ADH does not re-evaluate the underlying diagnosis — the home-state certification stands — but the condition must broadly track a recognized medical-cannabis diagnosis.
• Apply through ADH and pay the $50 fee.

The Application

Visiting-patient applications are submitted online through the ADH portal at mmj.adh.arkansas.gov. You upload:

• A clear scan or photo of your valid home-state medical card
• A valid government-issued photo ID (driver’s license, state ID, passport)
• The $50 fee

ADH issues the card electronically once the application is approved. The card is valid for 30 consecutive days from the date of issuance.

Amendment 98 § 2(18) authorizes a 30-day Visiting-Patient Card for out-of-state medical-cannabis patients. ADH administers the registration.

Arkansas Department of Health — Visiting-Patient Information

What the Visiting-Patient Card Authorizes

• Purchase at any Arkansas-licensed dispensary within the standard 2.5 oz per 14-day rolling period cap (same as Arkansas residents).
• Possession of patient-quantity amounts under the same cap.
• Private use in Arkansas during the 30-day window.

What It Does Not Authorize

• No home cultivation. Amendment 98 § 6(b) prohibits patient/caregiver cultivation regardless of card type. The visiting card gives no exception.
• No transport across state lines. Cannabis remains federally illegal. Crossing any state line with cannabis — including driving home with leftovers — is a federal crime regardless of card status in either state.
• No federal-land carve-out. Hot Springs National Park, Buffalo National River, Fort Chaffee federal property, Pine Bluff Arsenal, Little Rock AFB, all military installations, and Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport (federal jurisdiction zones) remain federal property with full federal cannabis prohibition.
• No DUI defense. Arkansas DUI law (Ark. Code § 5-65-103) applies regardless of card status.
• No employment protection. Arkansas employers can drug-test and act on positive results; the visiting card creates no workplace rights.
• No renewal as a visitor. The 30-day card cannot be extended; a new application and another $50 fee are required.

Which States’ Cards Are Accepted?

ADH generally accepts cards from any U.S. state with a regulated medical-cannabis program. Common examples include cards from Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee (low-THC only), Louisiana, Texas (Compassionate Use Program), Mississippi, Florida, New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, Minnesota, New Jersey, California, Nevada, Arizona, Oregon, Colorado, New Mexico, and others.

Cards from states without a regulated medical-cannabis program (Idaho, Kansas, Nebraska, Wyoming, Indiana, South Carolina, North Carolina, Wisconsin, Kentucky pre-launch) are not honored because no recognized state-issued card exists.

Tax Treatment for Visiting Patients

Arkansas has no recreational program, so the comparison is not "medical vs. recreational excise tax" the way it is in Nevada or Maryland. Visiting patients pay the same Arkansas state and local sales tax that Arkansas resident cardholders pay on cannabis purchases. The 4% privilege tax under Amendment 98 is built into pricing. See Arkansas cannabis taxes.

Practical Tips for Visitors

• Apply 7–14 days before your trip. ADH approval is usually fast but not guaranteed same-day. Don’t arrive in Little Rock or Hot Springs hoping to apply that afternoon.
• Bring both cards to the dispensary. The visiting card plus your home-state card and matching ID.
• Buy in Arkansas, consume in Arkansas, dispose before crossing back. Carrying leftovers home is a federal crime even back to a legal state.
• Calculate your stay length. 30 days from card issuance is the absolute window; staying longer requires a fresh application and another $50 fee.

If You Become an Arkansas Resident

If you move to Arkansas, you must apply for the full Arkansas Medical Marijuana Patient Identification Card; reciprocity ends as soon as you change residency. See how to apply for the 5-step process.

Where to Apply

• Portal: mmj.adh.arkansas.gov
• ADH phone: (501) 682-4982
• Full deep-dive: Visiting-Patient Card page

Next Steps

• Out-of-state visitors: review Arkansas’s cross-border situation.
• New Arkansas residents: see how to apply and qualifying conditions.
• Compare costs at the cost & renewal page.