Medical Cannabis Legalization Initiative Placed on November Ballot in Arkansas
An initiative to legalize the medical use and distribution of cannabis will appear on this November’s ballot in Arkansas, according to Secretary of State Mark Martin.
According to Martin, Arkansas for Compassionate Care (ACC) submitted well more than 77,516 valid signatures, the number required to put their initiative to a vote of the people. ACC is the group behind a 2012’s Issue 5, a medical cannabis legalization initiative that was narrowly defeated in the general election, receiving 48.56% of the vote.
According Melissa Fults, ACC’s campaign director, their initiative “allows doctors to recommend medical cannabis to patients with certain debilitating or life-threatening medical conditions. This includes conditions such as cancer, HIV/AIDS, hepatitis C, Crohn’s disease, post-traumatic stress disorder and Alzheimer’s—but more importantly, it includes devastating conditions left out of the AMMA [a separate initiative trying to make the November ballot] like lupus, autism, and Parkinson’s disease.” Patients would be allowed to possess up to 2.5 ounces.
The initiative also authorizes state-licensed dispensaries as a means of safe access for patients (a total of 38 being allowed throughout the state). Patients who live 20 or more miles from a dispensary would be authorized to cultivate up to five mature cannabis plants and five seedlings.
According to polling conducted by Talk Business & Politics/Hendrix College/Impact Management Group – released in September – 84% of voters in Arkansas support legalizing medical cannabis.