Arkansas Activists Turn In Final Batch Of Signatures To Put Medical Marijuana Expansion On The Ballot

Arkansas activists have submitted a final batch of signatures to qualify a medical marijuana expansion initiative for the November ballot, though they are still waiting on the outcome of a state Supreme Court about another measure that could decide their campaign’s fate.

While Arkansans for Patient Access (APA) turned in nearly 110,000 signatures to secure ballot placement last month, Secretary of State John Thurston (R) later notified the campaign that they had an “insufficient” number of valid petitions. They need 90,704 signatures to qualify, but at the time only about 77,000 were verified.

That gave advocates an additional 30 days to collect signatures to make up the difference. APA said on Friday, the turn-in deadline, that they submitted an additional batch of 38,933 signatures, and they’re confident that will push them over the threshold. In total, the campaign says it has now filed 150,335 voter signatures from all 75 counties across the state.

“We are excited to move one step closer to having the amendment certified,” Bill Paschall, an APA committee member, said in a press release. “People across the state have enthusiastically signed petitions and told us they are excited to vote for an amendment that will expand patient access and lower the cost of obtaining and keeping a patient card.”

The proposal is principally aimed at building upon the state’s existing medical cannabis program, which was created under an earlier voter-approved measure. It would achieve that by making it so healthcare professionals could issue recommendations to patients for any condition they see fit and letting patients grow their own marijuana at home.

Nurse practitioners, physician’s assistants pharmacists and osteopathic doctors would be added to the list of professionals who could make those recommendations. Also, patients wouldn’t need to renew their medical marijuana cards until three years, versus one year under the current law.

Further, the measure includes a trigger provision that would end cannabis prohibition altogether in Arkansas if the federal government enacts legalization.

The initiative would also permit dispensaries to start selling pre-rolled joints.

There is an additional complication that the campaign is facing. If it qualifies, it could be subject to a lawsuit, similar to one a separate anti-casino measure is currently facing, based on a ruling from the state Supreme Court that upheld the secretary of state’s decision not to allow an abortion rights initiative on the ballot based on a procedural dispute over submitting signed affidavits showing that paid canvassers were provided a handbook at the same time they turned in signatures.

It’s unclear how or when that issue will be resolved, with fewer than 70 days left until the election.

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The state’s medical marijuana has proved popular since its implementation in 2019, with officials announcing in May that at least 102,000 residents have registered for patient cards, exceeding expectations.

Meanwhile, last August a law took effect in the state clarifying that medical marijuana patients can obtain concealed carry licenses for firearms.

Arkansas voters defeated a ballot initiative to more broadly legalize marijuana for adults in 2022.

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Photo courtesy of Brian Shamblen.