Sherwood Cannabis Dispensary Sets Ribbon Cutting

Natural Relief Dispensary in Sherwood is likely to open around March 15. The company has scheduled a ribbon-cutting at the retail site for March 9.

Hard on the heels of two medical marijuana dispensaries opening in Little Rock, the metro region will get its first cannabis outlet north of the Arkansas River within weeks in Sherwood, according to officials with Natural Relief Dispensary.

The company’s business development manager, Carrie Sublett, told Arkansas Business on Tuesday that the store is likely to open around March 15. That’s pending a final inspection by the state’s Alcoholic Beverage Control Division, which enforces rules in the state’s new cannabis market, not yet a year old.

“We have to get the staff fully trained; not all budtenders are equal, and we want our patient services to be the very best,” Sublett said. “I’m a patient myself, and I’ve been shopping around at some of the dispensaries already open, and taking note of things that we can do better.”

The company, led by CEO and co-owner Brian Faught, built a facility at 3107 E. Kiehl Ave. specifically for serving marijuana patients, Sublett said. “We want to offer a consistent experience where patients can find their conditions and then look down a list of products that will help their particular symptoms.”

The dispensary, to be led day to day by company Vice President Brian Renk, is holding a public ribbon-cutting at the retail site March 9. A final inspection by the state is expected Friday.

“We’re doing this differently, opening up the building before any product arrives,” Sublett said. “That way the general public, the press and the mayor can see what it looks like. Otherwise, only people with cannabis cards could see, and the others would be out in the waiting room.”

She said the Sherwood outlet wants to be Arkansas’ “hometown dispensary,” regardless of where they live. “Long travel times, lack of knowledge and high prices are common concerns we’ve heard.”

Sublett said that the dispensary would offer all products distributed by Arkansas’ three operational cultivators, with a particular focus on competitive pricing. “We’ll also have online ordering for pickup.”

Two Little Rock dispensaries opened in February: Harvest House of Cannabis on Rodney Parham Road and Herbology less than a quarter-mile away on Kanis Road, just as it merges with 12th Street.

Faught, the CEO of the coming Sherwood facility, said in a news release that Natural Relief employees “are passionate about helping our patients get relief. We want to be a resource for patients and make appropriate recommendations based on their medical needs.” Renk said the key is “listening to customers and educating them.”

State regulators said Wednesday that they have also given the green light to open to Natural State Medical Group of Alexander. And they note that since May, patients have spent more than $46 million to buy more than 7,200 pounds of medical marijuana in Arkansas.