Arkansas Medical Marijuana Advocates Begin Petition

[Jacob Bell]

Proponents of legalizing medical marijuana in Arkansas are hoping that 2012 is their lucky year.

After failed attempts to get the issue certified as a ballot initiative, a new group, Arkansans for Compassionate Care, has succeeded in clearing the first hurdle - getting Arkansas Attorney General Dustin McDaniel to certify the proposal's ballot language.

The next step starts on Tuesday when the group begins to collect the required minimum of 62,507 signatures from registered voters. The group has until July 6, 2012 to submit them to the attorney general's office in order to qualify the proposal for the November 2012 general election ballot.

"We want to ensure that sick and dying patients in Arkansas have the ability to get the medicine they need and that is sometimes medical marijuana," said Ryan Denham, campaign director for Arkansans for Compassionate Care.

But Jerry Cox, president of the Arkansas Family Council, a conservative group based in Little Rock, said that legalizing marijuana for medical use makes the drug more available for recreational use.

"Any individual who can acquire, grow or own his own marijuana is one step away from sharing with his friends who may not have any medical issues," Cox said.

California was the first state to allow marijuana for medical use in 1996, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Since then, 15 states and the District of Columbia have passed similar laws.

In Arkansas, a medical marijuana initiative has never appeared on the statewide election ballot. A group tried to get the issue on the ballot in 2004 but failed to get enough signatures.

"I think public opinion has really shifted since then," Denham said. "More people are supportive and we have a very diverse group of geographical volunteers to gather signatures."

Signatures must come from at least 15 counties in the state. Denham says the group has more than 300 volunteers so far, along with 60 patients who are willing to share their stories in order to recruit more people to the cause.

Denham said the group modeled its legislation after Maine and Arizona laws.

Like those states, Denham said, Arkansas' proposed legislation would have a strict list of conditions people must have to be able to use medical marijuana, such as cancer or AIDS.

California has faced problems with controlling its number of dispensaries, but Denham said the Arkansas bill would cap its number at 30 for the state.

"We wanted to avoid the pitfalls that we have seen in Colorado and California about how many dispensaries there are," he said. "We also have a mechanism that allows cities and counties to ban dispensaries."

Aside from dispensaries, patients who are sick and have been prescribed medical marijuana by a doctor could also grow their own plants with a limit of six at a time per patient.


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Website: Arkansas medical marijuana advocates begin petition

 

[NorCaliwood]

Seems they got alittle relief. I know its was a ruff state. I lived afew years there and snuck afew grows. Razor Bud. But atleast this is a improvement. Missery still has life without for growing over a 100 plants I think. Well;

Arkansas Relaxes Marijuana Possession Penalties

As of September 2, a new law that relaxes the penalty for some marijuana offenses has gone into effect in Arkansas. Under the new law, people caught in possession of up to four ounces may be sentenced to a year's probation without formal charge, at the judge's discretion.

Under the new law, existing penalties for pot possession still remain. Offenders can still be sentenced to up to a year in jail and a $1,000 fine. But now, judges can opt for the sentence of probation with no criminal record.

Also, under the previous Arkansas law, possession of anything more than an ounce was punished by four to 10 days in jail and large fines. Now, someone possessing as much as four ounces will be eligible for probation.

The new law also lessons the penalties for repeat possession offenders and makes possession with the intent to deliver small amounts of marijuana a misdemeanor instead of a felony.

The law was passed last spring by the legislature and backed by Gov. Mike Beebe (R), who signed it into law in March.

Little Rock, AR

Source: Arkansas Relaxes Marijuana Possession Penalties | StoptheDrugWar.org

Keepem Green

 

[420 Warrior]

Good for y'all Razorback's, you can do it!

I truly believe the bible belt states will be the key to out right legalization because I know in my heart that this part of the world will be the hardest hurdle to jump with this mission and all it will take is a couple of these states to do it before the rest of the country to fallow suit.

I'll be watching this state closely as well as ALL of the southern states because I can smell victory now and I just know that we need to band together now more than ever before!

 

[budbro]

Good ole Arkansas differs from a lot of the southern states. Most don't know, but Fayetteville, a few years back, passed an ordinance that said in laymans terms...The City of Fayetteville is required to write a yearly letter to the feds informing them that they will no longer use city resources to enforce possesion laws for marijuana. And they have written them every year since. Now, you can't walk down the streets smoking a doob in both hands, but other than that, the cops basically turn their heads and carry on about their biz of fighting real crimes. Hands down the greatest little liberal city in the South! You have to love a little city that stands up to the feds and gives them a big fat "Fuck You and your money", dont you?

 

[NorCaliwood]

I have always been the Rebel. I wondered if growing wood lose some of that luster being legal, but it hasn't. I know we had to be pretty closed lipped about any grows back there. I know I ran into ATF looking for moonshiners down there. But plants grow quite large on the banks of the Mississippi River. They can and do grow some screamer bud's. It's a outdoor growers dream. Keep em Green