ARKANSAS, USA — Expanding medical marijuana access in Arkansas is one step closer to being on the November ballot after signatures were submitted on Friday, July 5.
The deadline to submit a ballot initiative is July 5, and the group Arkansans for Patient Access (APA) campaign announced the submission of over 111,000 petition signatures, spanning 62 counties in the state.
APA said in a statement on Friday that the signatures surpassed the required amount.
If Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin certifies the signatures and approves the initative to be on the November ballot, voters will decide on expanding access to medical marijuana.
The amendment, if passed, would allow more healthcare professionals to prescribe marijuana to patients.
Those healthcare professionals include medical and osteopathic doctors, nurse practitioners, physician's assistants, and pharmacists.
The measure also adds medical conditions that a patient could be diagnosed with that marijuana could be used as treatment. Medical marijuana would be a treatment for any condition that a "health care practitioner considers debilitating to a patient that might be alleviated by the use of usable marijuana."
If passed, non-Arkansas residents could get a medical marijuana card and the expiration of the cards would be increased from one year to three years. For people who already have cards, two years of use would be added.
Patients could also be seen by a practitioner via telemedicine.
“Our canvassers found voters eager to place an amendment on the ballot that will eliminate barriers to access and make it less expensive to acquire and keep a medical marijuana card,” said Bill Paschall, APA campaign committee member.
“As we move into the fall, we look forward to educating Arkansans all across the state about this amendment and the medicinal benefits of marijuana,” Paschall said.
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