This story was reported by Lisa Mills.

Prairie County Judge Lawrence Holloway said the county should benefit from sales tax revenue generated by a medical marijuana dispensary that opened Aug. 20 near Ward.

At a meeting of the Prairie County Quorum Court Tuesday, Sept. 8, Holloway said Speakeasy Dispensary, located at 11618 N. Newberry Drive, has been busy since opening.

“The parking lot has been full every time I have driven by,” he said.

The dispensary was originally licensed for Pine Bluff. The Arkansas Medical Marijuana Commission approved relocating it to Prairie County at a meeting on Oct. 1, 2024.

When the relocation was announced in 2024, Speakeasy projected the new location would generate $70,000 to $150,000 annually in sales tax revenue and create 10 to 20 jobs. 

Prairie County Clerk Gaylon Hale told The Grand Prairie Herald the county has calculated expected sales tax revenue to be $70,000 to $84,000 annually.

In a press release last month announcing the opening, the dispensary said the move was intended to improve patient access in an area of the state where medical marijuana options had been limited.

“Opening in Ward has been something we’ve worked toward for a long time, and we’re excited to finally welcome patients through the doors,” Casey Flippo, CEO of Speakeasy Dispensary, said in a statement. “This move gives us the opportunity to serve an area where patients have had fewer convenient options close to home. We’re grateful for the support we’ve received from the community and look forward to becoming part of it.”