About Us

Our Mission

The Arkansas Cannabis Industry Association (ACIA) is a 501(c)(6) cannabis industry trade association advocating for laws, regulations, and public policies that foster a healthy, professional, and accountable medical cannabis industry in our state.

Our mission has four main components:

Advocating for the Industry
Education
Bringing the Industry Together
Protecting Patients

We work with all cannabis industry sectors to foster a safe, responsible, ethical, and sustainable operating climate in Arkansas. The businesses that comprise our state’s medical cannabis industry represent a large and growing economic force. As Arkansas’s medical cannabis trade association, we are committed to well-representing this burgeoning business sector.

The ACIA Team

Bill Paschall

Managing Director, Chief Lobbyist

Tricia Larson

Membership Director

Board of Directors

Robert deBin

PRESIDENT

Natural State Medicinals

Dan Roda

VICE PRESIDENT

Safe Harbor Financial

Adam Hodge

TREASURER

GrowBrite

Brandon Thornton

SECRETARY

Steep Hill

Robert Lercher

Bold Team

Gates McKnight

Purspirit Cannabis

Clint Mickle

Plant Family Therapeutics

Robbin Rahman

Rock City Harvest

Jonathan Reeves

Liberty Defense Group

Matt Shansky

The ReLeaf Center

Dustin Shroyer

Revolution Global

Matt Trulove

Osage Creek Cultivation

Abraham Carpenter

Carpenter Farms

Amy Martin

The Greenery

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History

The Arkansas Cannabis Industry Association (ACIA) was formed in 2017 to unite the state’s newly created cannabis industry.

Since its inception, ACIA has been working toward growing Arkansas’s future by promoting a healthy and robust medical cannabis program. ACIA is the most influential trade association in the state representing the diverse interests of the cannabis industry: cultivation, retail, processing, testing, financial services, and other various ancillary services.

Advocating for the Industry

ACIA is committed to becoming a recognized and trusted voice before policymakers, regulators, and the community at large. We are charged with protecting the industry from overly burdensome regulations and laws that would impede industry growth, and infringe on the rights of patients to access medical cannabis. To achieve these goals, we actively monitor newly proposed legislation and regulatory actions supporting and/or advocating against policies that would do harm to the industry. Simply, we serve as the eyes and ears for the industry.

Example initiatives:

ACIA has successfully beaten back overly burdensome regulations and laws that would infringe on the rights of patients to access their medical cannabis.

ACIA has successfully protected the industry from new and higher taxes and defeated legislation that would negatively impact day-to-day operations.

- ACIA successfully fought onerous video security regulations, saving the industry substantial dollars in added security and operations costs.
- ACIA defeated legislation that would have banned the sale of edibles.
- ACIA defeated legislation that would have put further restrictions on advertising.
- ACIA worked to favorably amend legislation impacting dispensary setback rules.

ACIA successfully advocated for improved packaging, labeling, and proposed testing rules and regulations.

ACIA secured essential business designation and patient ID Card extension and the use of telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic. ACIA recognized the far-reaching impact of COVID-19, and that Arkansas’s medical cannabis industry would be harmed without protections in place. ACIA and its leadership advocated early for essential business designation and successfully lobbied to extend patient card expirations and allow physicians to consult patients via telehealth for card issuance and renewals.

ACIA passed legislation during the 2021 session that helps patients more easily obtain medical marijuana cards.

ACIA passed legislation that allows the state’s cultivators to provide greater access to cultivation facilities to foster education among policymakers, regulators, and community leaders.

Education

Knowledge is key to the success of Arkansas’s medical cannabis industry. ACIA serves as a resource and conduit, sharing information and connecting industry experts to government officials, state regulators, local community leaders, and the general public.

ACIA provides regular enrichment and networking opportunities for the industry to educate and expand knowledge.

ACIA has organized seminars and wellness expos focused on industry best practices and ensuring consumers are educated about Arkansas’s medical cannabis industry.

License Holders and Ancillary Companies

ACIA offers professional development and networking opportunities to our industry members. We’ve held seminars ranging from taxation to extraction, to general business operations and security. We want to help industry participants operate better businesses, providing high-quality and affordable cannabis to the patients of Arkansas. To get involved with our events, learn more about becoming a member.