Arkansas Visiting-Patient Card — 30 Days, $50

Last verified: May 2026

What the Visiting-Patient Card Is

Amendment 98 § 2(18) and ADH Rules § IV authorize a 30-day Arkansas visiting-patient card for out-of-state cardholders. The card grants the same privileges as a resident Amendment 98 card — access to the eight Arkansas dispensary zones, the 2.5 oz / 14-day purchase limit, and the same product menu — for a 30-day window from issuance.

Who Qualifies

To qualify for the Arkansas visiting-patient card, the applicant must:

• Hold a valid registry card from another state’s medical-marijuana program (i.e., a card issued by a U.S. state government, not a private referral service).
• Have a qualifying condition that matches one of Arkansas’s 18 qualifying conditions under Amendment 98 § 2(13).
• Be at least 18 years old, or be a minor with parental-caregiver authorization in the home state.
• Pay the $50 fee.

Which State Cards Qualify

Most state medical-cannabis programs issue cards that satisfy the Arkansas visiting-patient eligibility requirement. As of May 2026, all of the following states’ cards qualify:

• Cannabis-positive cards (state-issued): AL, AK, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DE, FL, HI, IL, KY (program ramping), MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SD, UT, VT, WA, WV, and DC.
• Cannabis-positive cards from other states’ older programs that are still active: Generally accepted on a case-by-case basis.

Texas patients are ineligible. Texas’s Compassionate Use Program is restricted to low-THC oil and does not issue a card to the patient — the prescription is held by the practitioner. Without a state-issued patient card, Texas patients cannot apply for the Arkansas visiting-patient pathway. For Texas residents in border cities (e.g., Texarkana), the practical effect is exclusion from the legal Arkansas market.

How to Apply

1. Visit the ADH portal at mmj.adh.arkansas.gov and select the "Visiting Patient" application path.
2. Upload a clear scan or photo of your home-state medical-cannabis card (front and back).
3. Upload proof of identity (driver’s license or passport).
4. Attest to your qualifying condition under one of the 18 Arkansas pathways.
5. Pay the $50 fee.

Applications are typically approved within 14 days. The 30-day clock begins on the date of issuance, not arrival in Arkansas. Plan ahead.

Patient Limits Apply

The visiting-patient card carries the same 2.5 oz / 14-day rolling limit as a resident card (Amendment 98 § 3(a)). The seed-to-sale tracking system enforces the limit across all Arkansas dispensaries. Visiting patients are also barred from home cultivation (Amendment 98 § 6(b)).

The Mississippi River Effect

Arkansas visiting-patient traffic comes substantially from Tennessee — whose CBD-only program does not issue a state card — and Louisiana, whose pharmacy-only program issues a state card that qualifies for Arkansas’s visiting-patient pathway. West Memphis dispensaries (THC RX, Delta Cannabis Co., Comprehensive Care Group) report substantial Tennessee-resident traffic, particularly from the Memphis metro just across the I-40 bridge.

Crossing back into Tennessee with cannabis from a West Memphis dispensary is both a federal felony (under the Controlled Substances Act) and a Tennessee state crime. The visiting-patient pathway is a way to consume in Arkansas legally; it is not a way to transport cannabis home.

Reciprocity in the Other Direction

For Arkansas residents traveling to other states:

• Oklahoma: The Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority (OMMA) issues a 30-day temporary out-of-state license at $100 to any U.S. state-government-issued medical card holder, including Arkansas patients.
• Mississippi: Mutual visiting-patient access via the Mississippi Medical Cannabis Program.
• Missouri: No reciprocity for medical cardholders, but adult-use is available 21+ for any visitor inside Missouri.
• Louisiana: Pharmacy-only model; AR cardholders cannot purchase through Louisiana’s system.
• Texas: No medical-cannabis access for AR cardholders.

See cross-border page for full neighbor-state reciprocity details and interdiction warnings.

Related on this site: Arkansas Medical Marijuana Amendment..., Arkansas Caregiver Card, Arkansas Medical Card.