Is THCA Legal in Arkansas? What State Law Says in 2026

THCA in Arkansas at a glance

Status	Banned
Age limit	Not applicable (banned)
Sale	Selling THCA flower or other THCA products as hemp is prohibited; they are intoxicating hemp products in Schedule VI.
Possession	Possessing THCA hemp products is possession of a Schedule VI controlled substance, except for registered medical marijuana patients buying from licensed dispensaries.
Product rules	Hemp's THC limit is measured as total delta-9 THC (THCA x 0.877 plus delta-9 THC), and any finished hemp product with total THC above 0% is an intoxicating hemp product.
Licensing	No hemp licence covers THCA products; medical marijuana is sold only by dispensaries licensed under Amendment 98.
Key law	Act 629 of 2023 (total delta-9 THC hemp definition); Act 934 of 2025 (intoxicating hemp product definition including THCA); Ark. Code § 5-64-215; Ark. Const. Amendment 98.
Last major change	April 2026

What Arkansas law says about THCA

Arkansas amended its definition of industrial hemp in Act 629 of 2023 to use a total delta-9 THC concentration of no more than 0.3%.¹ Act 934 of 2025 goes further. For consumable hemp purposes it defines delta-9 THC as THCA multiplied by 0.877 plus delta-9 THC, and it defines an “intoxicating hemp product” as any finished hemp product whose total THC exceeds zero percent. Tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA) is named in the list of covered compounds, and intoxicating hemp products are added to Schedule VI of the Uniform Controlled Substances Act.²

Act 934 only took effect once the Attorney General certified that the federal challenge to Act 629 had ended with the law upheld. That followed the Eighth Circuit’s June 2025 decision in Bio Gen LLC v. Sanders and a district court judgment in March 2026, and the Attorney General signed the certification in April 2026.³⁴

Arkansas voters rejected adult-use legalisation in 2022, so there is no recreational market. Registered patients can buy marijuana, which is naturally high in THCA, from dispensaries licensed under Amendment 98.

How the federal hemp change affects Arkansas

Separate from Arkansas law, the federal definition of hemp is changing. Under the federal hemp redefinition passed in the FY2026 appropriations law, from 11 December 2026 hemp is measured by total THC, which counts THCA as well as delta-9 THC, and finished products are capped at 0.4 mg of total THC per container. High-THCA flower sold as hemp today will not meet that definition, so from that date it is treated as marijuana under federal law, whatever state law says.

Bills to delay or repeal the change are in congressional committees, but none had advanced as of September 2026. Our explainer on the federal hemp THC limit covers the detail, and THCA vs delta-9 THC explains why heat turns THCA into delta-9.

Timeline of recent changes

• April 2026: Attorney General certified Act 934, making hemp products with any total THC, including THCA, Schedule VI substances.
• 24 June 2025: Eighth Circuit vacated the injunction against Act 629.
• 21 April 2025: Act 934 of 2025 approved, naming THCA as an intoxicating cannabinoid.
• 11 April 2023: Act 629 adopted a total delta-9 THC definition of hemp.

THCA in neighbouring states

Rules change at the state line. Here is how THCA is treated in the states bordering Arkansas, as of September 2026:

• Missouri: Legal until 12 Nov 2026 state ban
• Tennessee: Banned above 0.3% total THC
• Mississippi: Banned outside medical programme
• Louisiana: THCA flower and vapes banned
• Texas: Barred by total-THC rule
• Oklahoma: Sold as hemp, no age limit

Carrying products across state lines can break the law of the state you enter, and federal law also applies. Check the destination state’s rules first.

Delta-8 in Arkansas

Delta-8 is treated differently: in Arkansas it is Banned (Schedule VI) as of September 2026. Read our guide to Delta-8 law in Arkansas, or compare the two compounds in THCA vs Delta-8.

Frequently asked questions

Is THCA flower legal in Arkansas?

No. Arkansas measures hemp by total THC, which counts THCA, and Act 934 of 2025 treats any hemp product with total THC above zero as an intoxicating hemp product in Schedule VI. THCA flower cannot be sold or possessed as hemp.

Can medical marijuana patients in Arkansas buy THCA flower?

Registered patients can buy marijuana flower, which is naturally high in THCA, from dispensaries licensed under Amendment 98. That is regulated medical marijuana, not hemp, and it is only available to people holding a valid Arkansas medical marijuana registry card.

When did Arkansas’s THCA ban take effect?

Act 934 of 2025 was drafted to take effect only after the Attorney General certified that litigation over Act 629 had ended with the law upheld. That certification was signed in April 2026, following the Eighth Circuit’s June 2025 ruling and a March 2026 district court judgment.

Sources

1. Arkansas General Assembly. Act 629 of 2023 (SB 358) (approved 11 April 2023). arkleg.state.ar.us
2. Arkansas General Assembly. Act 934 of 2025 (SB 533) (approved 21 April 2025). arkleg.state.ar.us
3. US Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. Bio Gen LLC v. Sanders, No. 23-3237 (24 June 2025). ecf.ca8.uscourts.gov
4. Arkansas Advocate via Marijuana Moment. Arkansas Attorney General Certifies Law Restricting Hemp-Derived THC Products (April 2026). marijuanamoment.net

Editorial note: This page is general legal information, not legal advice, and reflects our reading of Arkansas and federal law as of 24 September 2026. Hemp and cannabis laws change quickly and are enforced differently by different agencies and localities. If you sell, ship or carry these products, check the current rules with the relevant state agency or a licensed attorney.

See the full state-by-state THCA table →