BENTONVILLE, Ark. (KFSM) — The day is here for Arkansans to purchase medical marijuana in Northwest Arkansas. ReLeaf Center’s doors open today (Aug. 7) at...

BENTONVILLE, Ark. (KFSM) — The day is here for Arkansans to purchase medical marijuana in Northwest Arkansas.

ReLeaf Center's doors open today (Aug. 7) at 8 a.m. for VIP guests only. It will be open to the rest of the public at 12 p.m.

"The community has been fantastic, they have been very supportive, but especially very patient, they have waited for years," said ReLeaf Superintendent Buddy Wayne.

Those years of waiting are now over as the ReLeaf Center becomes the first medical marijuana dispensary to open in Northwest Arkansas.

"I think people with mental illness and all sorts of good things, it’ll benefit the community and hopefully people's health and lives," said Benton County resident Michael Fox.

Wayne says they have ordered their products from all local growers and have purchased one of everything, so there is something for everyone.

"We’ve ordered a great deal of products from all the local cultivators in the state of Arkansas, and we are really looking forward to a great crowd," Wayne said.

Those who have lived in Benton County for a while say things have changed over the years.

"It was a dry county. It was crazy. So things are progressing in the community and hopefully, it will become recreational," said resident Cheyenne Griffin. "I was out in California and the atmosphere out there is just so great, so hopefully we progress to that."

Griffin says she's been prescribed other medications in the past, but medical marijuana is the only thing with which she's seen progress.

"Compared to marijuana, medical marijuana it’s just better overall medication for me personally," Griffin said.

Wayne says several different methods of the medication will be available for patients to purchase.

Patients just need to bring a state-issued registered patient or caregiver medical marijuana card and a government-issued ID.