The only medical marijuana dispensary in the city of Hot Springs will remain closed after a judge denied the owner’s request to stay the state’s May 2 revocation order.
Garland County Division 4 Circuit Judge Kara Petro ruled Thursday that Dragan Vicentic didn’t prove his appeal was likely to succeed, keeping the doors to Green Springs Medical closed while his petition for judicial review waits to be heard. The hearing on the request to suspend the order pending the outcome of the appeal was heard Wednesday at the Garland County Court House.
Vicentic asked the court to intervene on June 12. Earlier that day, the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board of Commissioners upheld ABC Director Christy Bjornson’s order closing the Seneca Street location. It remained opened until the board affirmed the order at the conclusion of a five-hour hearing last week at ABC’s Little Rock offices.
It’s the first revocation of a medical marijuana license in the five-year history of the industry in Arkansas.
Petro’s order cited noncompliance issues detailed in the ABC order and argued at last week’s hearing. Selling expired products, lax inventory controls and discrepancies in physical and electronic inventories were among the allegations leveled at Green Springs.
“Green Springs Medical has repeatedly