Selling Over 1800 Expired Cannabis Products Cost This Arkansas Dispensary Its License, Owner Plans To Appeal

An Arkansas medical dispensary lost its right to sell cannabis following the Alcoholic Beverage Control Division's decision to revoke its license, reported Arkansas Advocate.

Hot Springs-based Green Springs Medical Marijuana Dispensary, owned by Dragan Vicentic, has allegedly been selling expired products.

"The revocation is the result of ongoing violations, most recently for selling more than 1,800 expired products," ABC's news release states. "ABC enforcement agents conducted an undercover purchase of expired products in October 2023 following a verbal warning regarding these products."

Vicentic who plans on appealing ABC's decision to its board, said the agency inspected his store on two occasions last year, adding he fought for a reduction of the fine citing the issues at hand were "fully explainable."

"I thought the fine amount would be reduced because of my satisfactory explanation, and the next thing I knew, the director asked for a revocation of the license, which I thought was very extreme," Vicentic said.

Green Springs' prior violations of the state's medical cannabis law include:

• Failure to maintain sanitary processing areas
• Failure to meet required standards for inventory information
• Failure to maintain accurate personnel records
• Failure to maintain video surveillance on the property
• Lack of commercial-grade locks at the facilities
• Improper signage

Meanwhile, ABC has been diligent in keeping the state's medical cannabis market in order and Arkansas residents, who spent $283 million on medical cannabis in 2023, safe.

Last year it fined Leafology, one of Arkansas’ eight licensed cannabis growers, with over $10,000 for violations such as improper record management, not having proper video surveillance and not containing odor as required under the law.

The state’s medical marijuana industry hit a $1 billion mark in total since the first cannabis store kicked off sales in 2019. Arkansas gave the green light to the constitutional amendment that endorsed medical marijuana for 17 qualifying conditions in November 2016.

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