It's been more than two years since Arkansas voters approved the cultivation and sale of medical marijuana. But the Natural State has been in no hurry to get the plant to the public.
Neighboring Oklahoma, on the other hand, took a different and much faster approach.
Voters there gave the OK to medial marijuana just a few months ago and already more than 2,000 growers, processors and dispensaries are up and running.
The reason is the Arkansas law provides for much stricter regulation and control of growing and dispensing medical marijuana than the one in Oklahoma. The Arkansas Medical Marijuana Commission says the first crop of legal medical marijuana won't be ready for harvest until April.
In the meantime, enterprising Oklahoma is going to let Arkansans who hold medical marijuana cards but have no access to the stuff to journey across the state line and-after paying a $100 fee-get a temporary license to buy Sooner-grown pot for what ails them.
Before you run that way, though, you do have to have an Arkansas-issued card-the approval letter isn't good enough-and the Arkansas Department of Health says they won't be issued until February.
Also, think twice about bringing anything back home. Transporting marijuana across state lines is a federal offense-even between states where such things are legal. Nor is it legal under Arkansas law to bring in Oklahoma pot.
All things considered, you might as well wait.