The Arkansas Supreme Court ruled Monday that voters will not be allowed to comment on a ballot measure to expand medical marijuana in the state, saying it did not adequately explain what the plan would mean. was lowered.
The justices reportedly abandoned the initiative in a 4-3 decision just two weeks before the election. Associated Press. The court directed election officials not to count votes on the initiative because it was too late to remove the measure from ballots as early voting began on Monday.
The proposed constitutional amendment would expand the definition of medical professionals who can certify medical marijuana patients, add eligibility requirements, and make medical marijuana cards valid for three years.
Court did not adequately inform voters that the 2024 Arkansas Medical Marijuana Amendment would strip the Legislature of its authority to change the 2016 constitutional amendment that legalized medical marijuana in the state. It was decided that
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A box of signed petitions for a ballot measure expanding Arkansas' medical marijuana program is placed in a committee room at the Arkansas State Capitol on July 5, 2024 in Little Rock, Arkansas. (AP)
“This decision dooms the proposed ballot title and is patently misleading,” Justice Sean Womack wrote in the majority opinion.
The court also noted that the initiative did not inform voters that if marijuana were legalized at the federal level, the amendment would legalize possession of up to one ounce of marijuana for any purpose. Ta.
The initiative's organizers said in a court filing that the ballot measure mentions a number of provisions that would be repealed, and previous court rulings require the bill to summarize the current law being amended. He claimed that he had said that there was no such thing.
In his dissenting opinion, Judge Cody Hyland said the court ignored decades of precedent by ruling that the bill's language was misleading.
“Long ago, this court established a definitive standard for evaluating the sufficiency of popular names and ballot titles,” Hyland wrote. “This court has not departed from these standards to date.”
The court also rejected election officials' reasoning for determining that the bill's sponsors did not meet the required signatures to place the bill on the ballot.
Early voting begins in Alaska, Arkansas, Connecticut, Idaho, North Dakota, South Carolina and Texas
A one-ounce bag of medicinal cannabis on display at Berkeley Patient Group on March 25, 2010 in Berkeley, California. (Getty Images)
Arkansans for Patient Access, a group supporting the measure, said it will continue working to expand the medical marijuana program and said the signatures it has collected show widespread support.
“We are deeply disappointed by the court's decision,” the group said in a statement. “It appears that politics has trumped legal precedent.”
The group filed the lawsuit after Arkansas Secretary of State John Thurston said the state did not meet the required signatures to be eligible to vote. The issue surrounding the language on the ballot was raised by Protect Arkansas Kids, a group that opposed the bill and intervened in the case.
Thurston's office had refused to count some of the signatures submitted, claiming his organization had not followed administrative regulations regarding paid signature gatherers.
Earlier this year, the state rejected a petition filed in support of a pro-life voting measure on similar grounds.
The state announced in July that the group would have an additional 30-day period to distribute its petition, although it had not yet reached the signatures needed for the medical marijuana measure. The state later notified the group that additional signatures collected by paid signature gatherers would not be counted if the required information was submitted by the solicitation firm rather than the bill sponsor.
The Arkansas Supreme Court has ruled that voters will not be allowed to weigh in on a ballot measure to expand medical marijuana in the state. (Getty Images)
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The court said Monday that the decision was wrong, arguing that state law allows a wide range of people to be considered sponsors of the measure.
Other groups also campaigned against the bill, although it is unclear whether it will be included in next month's vote. The Family Council Action Committee announced plans last week to launch a statewide tour opposing the measure.
“A bill this bad has no place on the ballot or in the Constitution,” committee Chairman Jerry Cox said after Monday's ruling.
About half of U.S. states allow recreational marijuana, and a dozen more have legalized medical marijuana. In November, voters in Florida, North Dakota and South Dakota will decide whether to legalize adult-use recreational marijuana, and two measures related to medical marijuana will be on the ballot in Nebraska.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
