Complex Regional Pain Syndrome and cannabis in Arkansas
The state currently does not list this condition as qualifying, and the program does not provide open-ended physician discretion to add conditions. Verify with the state regulator, because programs change.
- ✗ No
- LEGAL
- Up to 2.5 oz over any 1…
- POSSESSION
- $50/yr
- STATE FEE
- 7–21 d
- TIMELINE
Arkansas statute and program
The Arkansas Medical Marijuana Program is the operating authority for Arkansas patient certification. The authoritative legal text is: Ark. Code Ann. §5-64-419: Possession of a controlled substance (marijuana penalty schedule).
What the evidence says about cannabis and Complex Regional Pain Syndrome
CRPS Type I follows soft-tissue injury, fracture, or surgery without identifiable nerve injury. CRPS Type II follows confirmed peripheral nerve injury. Diagnosis is clinical, based on the Budapest Criteria (International Association for the Study of Pain), which require disproportionate pain plus signs and symptoms across multiple of four categories (sensory, vasomotor, sudomotor/edema, motor/trophic).
For the full evidence base, including the NASEM tier, randomized trial summaries, and symptom-domain breakdown, read the mmjnow Complex Regional Pain Syndrome page.
How to qualify in Arkansas
The Arkansas Medical Marijuana Program requires the following registration steps for a Complex Regional Pain Syndrome patient (or any qualifying diagnosis):
- Get a written certification from an Arkansas-licensed physician. Any Arkansas-licensed MD or DO with an active DEA registration may issue a written certification under Arkansas Amendment 98 (Medical Marijuana Amendment of 2016). No special physician registration is required. Qualifying conditions include cancer, glaucoma, HIV/AIDS, hepatitis C, ALS, Tourette’s, Crohn’s, ulcerative colitis, PTSD, severe arthritis, fibromyalgia, Alzheimer’s, chronic pain not addressed by other treatment, severe nausea, seizures, intractable pain, and others added by the Arkansas Department of Health.
- Submit your application to the Arkansas Department of Health. The patient mails or uploads the Patient Application Form, the Physician Written Certification, a copy of an Arkansas driver license or state ID, a passport-style photograph, and the registration fee to the Arkansas Department of Health Medical Marijuana Section. Online submission is available through the ADH portal.
- Pay the $50 state registration fee. The annual patient registration fee is $50 (one-year) or $100 (two-year). Caregivers register separately for an additional $50 each and undergo a state and federal background check.
- Receive the registry card and purchase from an Arkansas dispensary. Arkansas medical marijuana registry cards are typically issued within 14 days of complete application receipt. With the card, patients may purchase up to 2.5 ounces every 14 days from any of the licensed Arkansas dispensaries. Arkansas honors out-of-state medical cannabis cards from visiting patients for in-state purchase under Amendment 98 (90-day visiting-patient registration).
- State registration fee
- $50
- Physician visit (typical)
- $200–$300
- Certification to card
- 7–21 days
- Out-of-state patients
- Eligible
- Minors
- Eligible with caregiver
For full Arkansas registration steps, fees, and reciprocity rules, see the Arkansas cannabis-laws page.
ICD-10 code
A certifying physician documenting Complex Regional Pain Syndrome for the Arkansas medical cannabis program will typically record ICD-10 G90.50 or SNOMED-CT 128200000 in the patient's record. The state registry does not itself collect ICD-10 codes in most programs, but the physician's chart is the audit trail if the certification is later reviewed.
Frequently asked questions
Does Arkansas list Complex Regional Pain Syndrome as a qualifying condition for medical cannabis?
No. Arkansas's qualifying-condition list does not currently include Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, and the state's program does not give physicians open-ended discretion to add conditions outside the list. Patients with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome in Arkansas have limited in-state pathways under the medical program as written. Options to verify and pursue include: petitioning the state regulator to add the condition (where the statute permits public petitions); consulting a physician about whether a co-occurring listed condition could support certification; or reviewing whether the state's program is undergoing legislative expansion. Arkansas program rules change, so verify the current list with the regulator before drawing a final conclusion.
How do I get a Arkansas medical marijuana card for Complex Regional Pain Syndrome?
Because Arkansas does not currently list Complex Regional Pain Syndrome as a qualifying condition, a card for Complex Regional Pain Syndrome alone may not be obtainable in-state under the program rules as written. Step one is finding a physician licensed in Arkansas who is registered with Arkansas Medical Marijuana Program and willing to evaluate Complex Regional Pain Syndrome cases. Step two is collecting your records (diagnosis documentation, treatment history, and the ICD-10 code your physician will use) and bringing them to the certification visit. Step three is the physician's certification through the state registry, followed by the patient registration application, state fee, and waiting period before the card is issued. Arkansas honors out-of-state medical cards under its reciprocity rules — uncommon, and worth verifying before relying on it. Verify the patient minimum age with the state program before applying. Confirm the current process with the state regulator before applying, because the rules change.
What does the evidence say about cannabis for Complex Regional Pain Syndrome?
For Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, evidence is described as limited (a small number of supportive studies, often underpowered or focused on narrow symptom domains). The mmjnow condition page for Complex Regional Pain Syndrome lays out the current evidence base, including the citations underlying that evidence tier — typically the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine consensus reports, federal agency guidance, and peer-reviewed reviews. Evidence quality is independent of state law: a state can list a condition for which evidence is limited, and a state can decline to list a condition for which evidence is strong. Patients deciding whether to pursue medical cannabis for Complex Regional Pain Syndrome should review the underlying evidence (linked on the condition page) and discuss expected benefit, dosing, and risk with a clinician familiar with both Complex Regional Pain Syndrome and cannabinoid pharmacology. Cannabis is not a substitute for evidence-based first-line treatments for Complex Regional Pain Syndrome; the evidence position above describes whether trial data supports its use, not whether it should replace standard care.
Sources
- Arkansas Constitution Amendment 98: Medical Marijuana Amendment of 2016accessed May 16, 2026
- Arkansas Department of Health: Medical Marijuanaaccessed May 16, 2026
- Wikipedia: Cannabis in Arkansasaccessed May 16, 2026
- Ark. Code Ann. §5-64-419: Possession of a controlled substance (marijuana penalty schedule)accessed May 17, 2026
- Amendment 98 to the Arkansas Constitution: Arkansas Medical Marijuana Amendment (2016)accessed May 17, 2026
- Arkansas Department of Health: Medical Marijuana Programaccessed May 17, 2026
- Arkansas State Plant Board: Industrial Hemp Programaccessed May 17, 2026
- NIH National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke: Complex Regional Pain Syndromeaccessed May 18, 2026
- NASEM: The Health Effects of Cannabis and Cannabinoids (2017)accessed May 18, 2026
“Substantial evidence that cannabis or cannabinoids are effective for chronic pain in adults.”
- Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Syndrome Association (RSDSA)accessed May 18, 2026
- International Association for the Study of Pain: CRPS Diagnostic Criteria (Budapest Criteria)accessed May 18, 2026
- MedlinePlus: Complex regional pain syndromeaccessed May 18, 2026