Arkansas officials have given more time to a campaign behind a medical marijuana expansion initiative to collect signatures to qualify for the November ballot after their initial submission came up short.
While Arkansans for Patient Access (APA) submitted nearly 110,000 signatures to secure ballot placement earlier this month, Secretary of State John Thurston (R) sent a letter to the campaign on Wednesday notifying them that they had an “insufficient” number of valid petitions.
“No less than” 77,000 of the submissions are valid, Thurston said, meaning the campaign will need another roughly 14,000 to meet the 90,704-signature threshold to get on the ballot.
Activists now have 30 more days to collect the remaining signatures for the measure.
The campaign has continued signature gather since its initial turn-in, and advocates are confident they will not only meet the requirement but that Arkansans will then pass the proposal with at least “60 percent” of the vote, Melissa Fults, spokesperson for the campaign, told Marijuana Moment on Wednesday.
“Our volunteers are the heroes,” she said of the signature gathering effort.
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.
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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.
Read the Arkansas secretary of state’s letter on the medical marijuana expansion initiative below:
Where Presidential Candidate Donald Trump Stands On Marijuana
Photo courtesy of Chris Wallis // Side Pocket Images.
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