Arkansans have a victory with marijuana ballots

Arkansas is pushing forward with the expansion of medical marijuana – despite the state government!

Akansas is home to the Ozarks and the famous Crystal Bridges Museum. It is a study of the American homeland and the future. Bentonville is home to Walmart, the largest physical retailer in North America. On their shelves you can find CBD from the cannabis plant. And now the state's citizens want an expansion of medical marijuana. While recreational activities are far behind, Arkansans won in the marijuana vote today.

The state approved medical marijuana in 2016. In recent years there has been a grassroots effort to expand the program. And most recently, the medical marijuana proposal sought to expand a measure that the state's voters approved in 2016. It would have expanded the definition of medical professionals who can certify patients for medical cannabis, expanded qualification requirements and made medical cannabis cards valid for three years.

In 2023, the state legislature agreed and Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed a bill protecting the right of medical cannabis patients in Arkansas to concealed carry a firearm. The governor is conservative and has made it clear she does not support the mission.

The Arkansas Medical Marijuana Amendment would loosen regulations. It would allow medical professionals other than doctors to sign medical marijuana cards and give patients 21 and older the ability to grow and process marijuana plants at home. Additionally, it would open up eligibility for any condition a doctor deems debilitating, in place of existing eligibility requirements.

Proponents had to have 90,704 verified votes. Arkansans for Patient Access submitted more than 150,000 signatures. The state told the group in July that it had not met the required number but qualified to forward petitions for an additional 30 days.

The group said the rejection of 20,000 of their signatures was due to an “arbitrary” last-minute rule change. The state decided to cast so many votes that it was 2,664 short.

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But the Arkansas Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that Secretary of State John Thurston must continue to review signatures to place an amendment relaxing medical marijuana laws on the November ballot. It appears that at least 25% will be verified, securing the ballot initiative.

Arkansas joins states like Florida where Gov. DeSantis is working hard to defeat another ballot initiative popular with voters. November will bring some interesting results.