Some Arkansas medical marijuana likely sold on black market

Some of the medical marijuana sold in Arkansas may be going to the black market, as cardholders exploit legal loopholes, a new study found.

Why it matters: The pounds legally sold in the state have increased nearly 50% in the past two years, while the number of card holders have increased only about 24% — from about 85,000 to 105,296 .

State of play: Joseph Thompson, president and CEO of the Arkansas Center for Health Improvement (ACHI), presented to a state-level joint health committee Wednesday some preliminary findings of a study on the state's program.

• It's the first population-based report on medical marijuana to a public health committee anywhere in the U.S., he said.

Context: Voters may have a chance to loosen the state's law on medical marijuana in the upcoming general election on Nov. 5 if organizers get enough signatures during a 30-day cure period that ends Aug. 30.

What they found: State law limits the amount of plant-based marijuana a cardholder can buy to 2.5 ounces every 14 days. Average patients purchase the equivalent of 206 mg per day of THC, the psychoactive compound in the plant.

• But some products, like gummies and vape concentrates, may contain more THC than can be purchased in 2.5 ounces of flower, so some patients are buying the equivalent of 900 mg of THC per day, Thompson said.
• "If you think about a 10-milligram dose, these are 90 doses a day that individuals are purchasing, which we think clearly represent, probably not personal consumption, but diversion to other sources," he said.

By the numbers: One stat that got lawmakers' attention — of the roughly 860 doctors in the state who are authorized to prescribe medical marijuana, about 34% of cardholders were approved by only seven doctors.

• More than 3% of Arkansas adults are certified to purchase medical marijuana.
• The average buyer spends $3,343 each year.
• Post-traumatic stress disorder is the leading medical condition for a cardholder (42%) followed by intractable pain (about 40%).

What they recommend: Thompson suggested strengthening required documentation for the medical marijuana certification process, integrating the certification into the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program and to govern THC purchase limits rather than the weight of the flower.

Flashback: ACHI and the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences received a $1.3 million grant from the National Institutes of Health in 2021 to conduct the study.

What's next: The study isn't yet published. Researchers plan to submit findings for publication in peer-reviewed journals, an AHCI spokesperson told Axios.

• The group plans to apply for additional grants from the National Institutes for Health, Thompson told the committee.