An address on state real estate transfer documents, 900 S. Rodney Parham Road in Little Rock, rang a bell with a Whispers staffer who knows entirely too much about the state’s new medical marijuana program.
That parcel is in line to become the home of one of Little Rock’s two medical marijuana outlets, Natural State Wellness Dispensary, but that wasn’t the name of the entity on the proof-of-taxes-paid document filed with the Arkansas Department of Finance & Administration early this month.
Instead, the buyer was BRLS Properties AR-Little Rock LLC, an affiliate of Harvest Health & Recreation Inc. of Tempe, Arizona. The seller was Gallery B Inc., led by John Magee, which reaped a purchase price of $200,000 for the ramshackle 2,512-SF building that housed Gallery 360, which describes itself on Facebook as a gallery for emerging artists.
Alex Howe, head of corporate communications for Harvest Health, which has dispensaries in six states and locations coming in two more, said the Arizona company plans to be landlord to Natural State Wellness, which is majority owned by Henry Wilkins V.
Howe, in an email, said BRLS is a wholly owned subsidiary of Harvest Health & Recreation and expects to rent to Natural State Wellness Dispensary — “subject to local and state approvals.”
BRLS also paid $26,000 for an adjoining 0.14-acre parcel, suggesting that the dispensary will likely be new construction. The seller of that property was Arjay Properties LLC, led by Karl Friedmann.
Meanwhile, six dispensaries are now up and running in Arkansas, and the state was set to inspect two more sites Monday, both in Bentonville. Scott Hardin, speaking for the state’s Alcoholic Beverage Control Division, which handles medical cannabis enforcement, said Arkansas Medicinal Source Patient Center and the Releaf Center could open as early as midweek if they pass muster.
“Regarding cultivation, three of the five licensed cultivators are growing and harvesting product,” Hardin said. “The other two, both in Newport, are not yet approved to grow, but due to recent progress we anticipate that one (Natural State Wellness) may begin growing in the near future following inspection.”
So far, the state’s dispensaries have sold more than 500 pounds of cannabis totaling sales of $3.46 million. Green Springs Medical in Hot Springs has had the most sales, 279 pounds worth more than $1.75 million.
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