The director of an initiative campaign in Arkansas to expand medical marijuana and create a trigger for the legalization of recreational marijuana is “confident” the initiative will make the November ballot.
In February Arkansans Attorney General Tim Griffin gave approval to the ballot language of an initiative submitted by Arkansans for Patient Access. The group must collect 90,704 signatures by July 5 in order for the measure to appear on the November, 2024 general election ballot. Now, Bill Paschall, managing director of the Arkansas Cannabis Industry Association who’s leading the canvassing effort for the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Amendment of 2024, says he’s “confident” that enough people will sign the initiative for it to be voted on this November.
“The ballot access effort is on track and we are confident 90,704 registered voters will sign a petition to put the Medical Marijuana Amendment of 2024 on the November ballot”, says Paschall. “Arkansans are excited about barriers to access being eliminated and the cost of obtaining a card reduced.”
The initiative would expand the state’s medical marijuana law, passed in 2016, to allow patients to grow their own marijuana at a private residence, with the limit set at seven mature plants and seven immature plants, and it would remove the retail prohibition on certain smokeable marijuana products such as pre-rolls.
The initiative would also:
- Allow medical marijuana assessments and renewals to be conducted via telehealth.
- Allow out-of-state patients to receive protections under the state’s medical marijuana law.
- Expand new patient cards to last three years rather than one.
- Allow physician assistants, nurse practitioners and pharmacists to recommend medical marijuana in addition to physicians.
- Allow the above list of healthcare professions to recommend medical marijuana for any condition they deem appropriate, rather than having to follow the current list of qualifying conditions.
The initiative would also legalize recreational marijuana, with the possession limit set at one ounce, if the federal government deschedules marijuana.
