The state’s two leading cannabis industry trade associations have merged.
The Arkansas Cannabis Industry Association (ACIA) and Arkansas Medical Marijuana Association’s said Tuesday that the tie-up is effective immediately. The combined group is called the ACIA and governed by a 12-member board made up of representatives of licensed cultivators, dispensaries and other cannabis-related businesses.
The nonprofits said forming a single organization creates “an inclusive and united voice for cannabis advocacy and education” in Arkansas. The combination makes the entity “stronger and more effective with legislative advocacy, public education and member recruitment.”
“It is past time for factions within the cannabis industry to come together on behalf of the physicians and businesses working to make medical cannabis a reality in our state,” Robert deBin, president of the ACIA board of directors, said in a news release. “We must be united and inclusive as we go into 2019 with continued challenges.
“There are tens of thousands of patients who need access to this medicine to treat their medical conditions, and we must continue to raise awareness of the benefits of our industry to policymakers and the general public.”
Other board members include:
- Dan Roda of Little Rock, vice president
- Brandon Thornton of Little Rock, secretary
- Adam Hodge of North Little Rock, treasurer
- Dr. Regina Thurman of Fayetteville
- Dr. Kyle Felling of Greenbrier
Roda and Thurman were previously members of the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Association board. Additional board members will be named at a later date following the expected awarding of dispensary licenses, the organization said.
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