Arkansas Legalization Movement Gains Traction

 While reform advocates are anticipating wide victories in pending ballot votes this fall on both the medical and recreational cannabis front, several states are already looking forward to 2016 and organizing efforts to create voter initiatives to coincide with the national presidential elections.

Arkansas, as of August 2014, may very well be one of those states. Three measures were submitted to the Attorney General this year and to have just been approved.  The first would legalize medical use, the second would approve recreational sales.  The approval of the attorney general now means that reform activists can begin to collect signatures to put these measures on the ballot.

A third measure, now being considered by the AG, would legalize medical use, but eliminate home grows for patients and eliminate lower cost proposals as included in the medical use provision that organizers are now gearing up for a signature drive to put on the ballot.

Organizers failed to put the issue of reform in front of voters this year because of timing and a short window in which to gather signatures.  Unlike Oregon, where organizers gathered enough votes to put the issue before citizens in the fall in under three months, Arkansas organizers will clearly need more time.  They also reported having difficulty with obtaining funding for canvassers necessary to collect the signatures this year.  However, the issue of reform will continue to move forward in the interim between this summer and the signature gathering deadline for the 2016 state vote on the issue. With collective voter support and the opportunity to access campaign funds, Arkansas should be well on their way to reform.