A sign at Green Springs medical marijuana dispensary Thursday asks customers to practice social distancing, one of a series of precautions it and other dispensaries are taking to slow the spread of COVID-19. - Photo by Grace Brown of The Sentinel-Record

The COVID-19 outbreak has affected many businesses' bottom lines, but sales in one of the state's newest industries are brisk.

March 20 was the largest single day of sales for medical marijuana, with $565,000 spent on 92 pounds, the state revenue agency said Thursday. More than 500 pounds of sales totaling more than $3 million were reported from March 16 through March 22.

Green Springs Medical, Hot Springs' lone dispensary, led the way, reporting almost 80 pounds in sales. It outpaced The Releaf Center in Bentonville's 65.64 pounds. Since becoming one of the first locations to sell marijuana legally in Arkansas on May 12, Green Springs has sold a state-leading 1,774.15 pounds.

Green Springs Medical owner Dragan Vicentic, right, and budtender Austin Briggs demonstrate how they package medical marijuana Thursday. The state's March 16-22 sales report showed Green Springs, Hot Springs' only medical marijuana dispensary, led all dispensaries in sales for the week. - Photo by Grace Brown of The Sentinel-Record

Suite 443, Garland County's other licensed dispensary, reported 17.68 pounds sold from March 16 to March 22. The Tax Procedure Act prohibits the Department of Finance and Administration from releasing revenue figures from individual dispensaries, but the 21 locations in operation statewide as of last week reported sales of $53.74 million on 8,439 pounds since the industry took wing in May.

Green Springs CEO Dragan Vicentic said the Seneca Street location is serving about 500 people per day. Like other businesses, Green Springs is taking precautions to slow the spread of coronavirus, such as call-ahead ordering for the disabled, immune-compromised and elderly.

"We have implemented a policy of social distancing by allowing no more than 12 people in the waiting area at any one time and turning every other chair around so that patients will continue to practice distancing," Vicentic said, noting that dispensaries are essential businesses such as grocery stores, pharmacies and gas stations. "Security personnel are using a nonintrusive thermometer gun to check everyone's temperature to make sure nobody with a fever enters our secured facility.

Chairs in the waiting area at Green Springs medical marijuana dispensary were positioned to encourage customers to practice social distancing on Thursday. - Photo by Grace Brown of The Sentinel-Record

"Patients are asked to keep 2 feet from budtender counters. The facility is sanitized daily and seating areas hourly along with air ionizers to scrub and sanitize the air."

Alcoholic Beverage Control, the DFA division that regulates dispensaries, said it has issued no formal guidelines concerning COVID-19. It said some dispensaries are limiting the number of people inside their facilities, and some are considering home deliveries.

"Once a dispensary is open for business, additional approval is not required to deliver," Scott Hardin, DFA's director of communications, said. "The dispensary must simply have two employees in an unmarked vehicle with the product locked in an appropriate container while transported. Deliveries may be made to a home. Locations such as hotels and offices are not eligible for delivery."

Vicentic said he has asked ABC to remove the two dispensary workers per vehicle rule so Green Springs can offer delivery.

The Arkansas Department of Health had approved 43,784 patient cards as of March 20, up from the 39,339 a month ago.

Dispensary update

The third dispensary initially licensed for Garland County has relocated to Alexander, opening earlier this month in Saline County as the rebranded Custom Cannabis.

Formerly Natural State Medical Group, Custom Cannabis had planned to open at 1402 Airport Road, but the Medical Marijuana Commission approved permittee's James Adametz's change of location request in September. According to the change of location form, construction on the Airport Road location was affected by an ownership dispute.

"In order to expedite opening permittee has located a structure that will only need interior remodeling," the form said. "Additionally, permittee feels the new location can better serve Zone 6 due to dispensaries already being located in Garland County."

All four Zone 6 dispensaries are now in operation.

Local on 03/27/2020