Arkansas AG approves medical marijuana ballot proposal
by October 3, 2013 9:18 pm 91 views
Arkansas Attorney General Dustin McDaniel (D) gave ballot title approval to a group’s effort to potentially qualify a medical marijuana proposal for voter consideration in November 2014.
Arkansans for Compassionate Care pushed an effort in 2012 to legalize medical marijuana, but the measure fell just short in a general election vote.
In its latest submission, the group is proposing many of the same provisions as it did a year ago, such as allowing for nonprofit dispensaries in Arkansas and allowing local cities and counties to choose to ban them.
Marijuana would only be available to people with a prescription for certain health conditions, including cancer, glaucoma, Hepatitis C, HIV/AIDs, Alzheimer’s disease and several other conditions. The proposal allows for a patient to have up to 2.5 ounces of usable marijuana without the threat of prosecution.
However, a controversial aspect of the previous proposal – which would have allowed medical marijuana users to grow their own plants – appears to be left out of this year’s attempt.
McDaniel said the latest measure meets the requirements to pursue signature collections to qualify for the November 2014 general election ballot.
“Applying the above precepts, it is my conclusion that the proposed popular name is sufficient as proposed,” McDaniel said.
Arkansans for Compassionate Care must collect more than 62,000 valid voter signatures by July 2014 to qualify for the general election next year.
McDaniel rejected a different medical marijuana proposal on Wednesday.