Arkansas Enacts Law Allowing Medical Cannabis Patients to Obtain Concealed Carry Licenses

LOS ANGELES– On Tuesday, a new law officially took effect in Arkansas, clarifying that medical cannabis patients in the state can obtain concealed carry licenses for firearms. The bill, signed by Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders in April, swiftly passed through the legislature with strong majority support.

Under the newly effective law, a person’s status as a qualified medical cannabis patient in Arkansas cannot be used as a determining factor in their eligibility to be issued a concealed handgun carry license. Additionally, the state statute has been amended to make it clear that participation in the medical cannabis program does not automatically label a person as a chronic or habitual user of a controlled substance, which could otherwise disqualify individuals from obtaining a concealed carry permit.

The law also places restrictions on the disclosure of a person’s patient status by the state Department of Health (DOH) to the state police during any investigation into concealed carry eligibility.

Unlike some other states that have broadly preserved firearm rights for cannabis patients and consumers, Arkansas’s new law is more specifically tailored to the issue of concealed carry.

It is important to note that Arkansas does not require permits for concealed carry; however, some firearms owners in the state opt to have one due to the protections it can provide when traveling in other states and during interactions with law enforcement.

Representative Aaron Pilkington (R), the sponsor of the newly enacted bill, highlighted the need for the law, pointing out that the state’s voter-approved medical cannabis ballot initiative, Amendment 98, did not extend the protection of patient rights to concealed carry holders. However, recent federal law changes have made it clear that gun rights should not be restricted based on a person’s medical patient status, including for medical cannabis users.

The enactment of this law aims to address concerns regarding the intersection of medical cannabis use and gun rights in Arkansas, providing clarity and assurance to medical cannabis patients who also wish to exercise their concealed carry privileges.