Our View

Our View

Will West Memphis really benefit from medical tourism?

Get ready to move over Southland Gaming and Racing, it seems you have a new tourism partner moving in. So seems “pot tourism” may just become a big attraction in West Memphis now that the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Commission just released a list of the state’s first 32 pot dispensaries, three of which will be located right here in the county’s largest municipality.

What’s more interesting is the fact only one dispensary will be located in Little rock, the state’s largest city, and a large portion of northeast Arkansas, including Jonesboro, won’t have a dispensary at all.

Oh, but good ole’ West Memphis will have three attracting visitors from all over the region to snatch up; their daily fix of their favorite wacky weed.

West Memphis promoters of tourism should attach slogans under their brightly lit West Memphis signs along side both interstates: “THE GATEWAY TO POT TOURISM — YOUR LAST CHANCE FOR GRABBING A BUZZ FOR MILES” While we’re sure to attract an entirely new batch of visitors to West Memphis who we’re sure will certainly work up an appetite after toking up. Heck, the local fast food chains should embrace the idea of offering marijuana specials such as the MUNCHIE MEAL DEAL or THE CHICKEN “POT” PIE SPECIAL. Even the dining establishments that serve alcohol could hat special adult beverages such as THE HIGH BALL or THE “HIGH” WAY BUZZ.

While these new entrepreneurs are gearing up for a HIGHLY profitable business in West Memphis there are some pot advocates, such as Melissa Fults, director of the Drug Policy Education Group, who says many pot users will be forced to drive long distances to get their fix.

Fults went on to say that the pot shops are in terrible places with the least amount of population and this pot commission has done what it has always done which is “an injustice to the patients.”

Let’s remember that we, the voters, approved pot use for medical purposes in 1016 which allows up to 40 dispensaries. And, while the bulk of the pot will be grown by the five licensed cultivators, dispensaries, such as those three being located right here in our backyard may also grow a limited amount of marijuana.

Right now there are about 7,000 Arkansans that have been approved to toke up, but that number is certainly expected to grow as the rollout of the marijuana becomes imminent. The way this works is that if someone complains to their doctor they are suffering from one of 18 medical ailments they can fork over $50 and be issued a card.

Crittenden County is in Zone 5 of the eight zones throughout the state. The three pot shops that will operate here have been identified as THC RX, Inc., 3700 Interstate 40 Frontage Road East; Delta Cannabis Co., 1151 East Service Road and Comprehensive Care Group, 201 and 203 N. OK Street.

Now, anyone with any common sense, knows this is all about these investors padding their pockets and making big profits. And, let’s also understand, that this is the first step in moving toward legalizing marijuana for just about any reason under the term “recreational use.”

Has there been any thought given as to why all three of these pot shots are located on the east end of West Memphis. At least for now we don’t anticipate seeing a pot shop located next to Kroger, Walmart or next to Walgreens.