Guy Clark, a 40-year-old Little Rock bartender and not the late singer of American country classics like “LA Freeway,” visited Simmons Bank Arena on Saturday because he’s tired of buying marijuana from friends or from a drug dealer in an alley. 

Clark was among more than 1,300 people who attended the Arkansas Times Cannabis and Wellness Expo, many of whom had hoped to get a medical marijuana card and purchase cannabis products legally from the state’s 37 dispensaries. 

Seven doctors were on hand to perform the certifications that are required for patients to obtain a card and enter the state’s legal cannabis economy. To be certified, a patient must have one of 17 qualifying conditions. State records show post traumatic stress disorder and intractable pain are the two most common conditions for which Arkansas patients are certified. 

Clark said he’s used marijuana for about 30 years to relax and unwind and also finds that it is an alternative to alcohol. He said he’s looking forward to the selection offered at the dispensaries. 

While Clark was in line for one doctor, other prospective patients waited for others, including Leafwell, a Miami-based telehealth company that was among the doctors set up in the arena concourse. Luke Macfarlan, the company’s chief operating officer, said he saw the impact of marijuana firsthand when his brother used it to treat side effects from chemotherapy during cancer treatments.

Marijuana helped McFarlan’s brother with nausea, appetite, pain and anxiety, he said. And although his brother eventually died from the cancer three years ago, Macfarlan said marijuana was helpful to treat the symptoms while avoiding strong opioids. 

Macfarlan previously worked as a military officer in the state of Washington where marijuana has been legal for medicinal or recreational use since 1998. As a commander, Macfarlan said he had to dismiss people from the military for marijuana use but, now, he works in the industry and hopes to reduce the stigma surrounding cannabis. 

Cannabis businesses and vendors selling their wares lined the upper concourse of the arena, while other cannabis-related booths were set up on the arena floor. On separate stages, industry professionals discussed cannabis topics in panel discussions, including “Consumptions Methods for Beginners, from Flower to Tinctures” and “Integrating Cannabis into your Wellness Routine.” 

Among the cannabis businesses was 454 Bags, a business-to-business company that sells eco-friendly bags for cannabis businesses. The company works with 1,800 cannabis farms across the country, including Leafology in Hot Springs and River Valley Relief in Fort Smith, according to the company’s founder T.J. Howe who was on hand to teach visitors about his products. The sign in the company’s booth said “F*ck Plastic: Cannabis Deserves Better” and a one-page handout promoted the bags with the slogan “Lock in the dank, keep out the drama.” 

WeedMaps, an online platform where cannabis consumers can find many Arkansas dispensaries’ products, set up a booth in the concourse to teach visitors about its services. Andy Hille, WeedMaps’ market manager for the area, called the company’s site “the biggest weed website in the world” and said it’s a good place to search for specific products or brands. 

Trevor Swedenburg, vice president of culinary operations at White Hall cultivator Natural State Medicinals, held a cooking demonstration that included hotdogs with mustard. For purposes of the demonstration, the mustard was infused with nonpsychoactive CBD rather than psychoactive THC. 

Ebony Blevins, market manager for cannabis brand TICAL, hosted a screening of the movie “How High” in the arena concourse. New York rapper Method Man owns the TICAL brand, which is made in Arkansas by BOLD Team cultivation in Cotton Plant. Method Man also plays a starring role in the 2001 movie about two guys who smoke something and perform well on their college entrance exams.

The three-day expo began on Friday with sessions focused on cannabis industry and continued with sessions geared toward consumers today. The event continues for consumers on Sunday from noon to 4:20 p.m.