For Physicians: Certifying Patients in Arkansas
Are you an Arkansas-licensed physician interested in certifying patients for medical cannabis? Arkansas does not maintain a separate physician registry; any Arkansas-licensed MD or DO in good standing may issue certifications.
Eligibility Requirements
Licensure:
- Active, unrestricted Arkansas medical license (MD or DO)
- Good standing with the Arkansas State Medical Board (no disciplinary actions)
- Valid DEA registration
The Rule 38 Constraint on Telehealth
The Arkansas State Medical Board's Regulation 38 (formerly published under the Arkansas Medical Practices Act) requires the initial certifying physician-patient encounter to be conducted in person. Subsequent renewals may be conducted via telemedicine, provided a valid physician-patient relationship is already established and the certifying physician is Arkansas-licensed.
Certification Workflow
- Establish (or verify) the physician-patient relationship in person for new patients
- Confirm the qualifying condition from Amendment 98's enumerated list
- Determine therapeutic benefit under the standard of care
- Issue written certification including:
- Physician name, AR license number, and signature
- Patient's name and qualifying condition
- Date of certification
Resources for Arkansas Physicians
- Arkansas Department of Health, Medical Marijuana: healthy.arkansas.gov/programs-services/topics/medical-marijuana
- Arkansas State Medical Board: armedicalboard.org
- Arkansas Medical Society: arkmed.org