Arkansas Campaign Seeking to Expand Medical Cannabis Gets More Time to Collect Signatures

The Arkansas campaign to put a medical cannabis expansion question to voters in November has been given more time to collect additional signatures after advocates submitted more than 108,500 signatures, of which 85% were valid, but not enough total to get the issue on ballots, Arkansas Advocate reports. Under Arkansas law, ballot campaigns are allowed a cure period if the initial submitted signatures equal at least 75% of the overall required number of signatures and 75% of the required number from at least 50 counties.  

In a July 31 letter to the campaign, Arkansas Secretary of State John Thurston said organizers have 30 days to gather new signatures, which must be submitted by August 30. The campaign submitted at least 77,000 valid signatures – the required number of signatures is 80,704. 

In a statement to the Advocate, ballot question committee member Bill Paschall said organizers are “confident that Arkansans for Patient Access will meet and exceed” the signature threshold by the deadline. 

The proposed constitutional amendment aims to improve patient access to medical cannabis by allowing physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and pharmacists to certify patients for medical cannabis cards, and allow providers to conduct patient assessments via telemedicine. Healthcare professionals would also be allowed to qualify patients based on medical need, rather than rely on the 18 qualifying conditions outlined by the state.  

Arkansas voters approved the medical cannabis ballot question in 2016, but the first products did not reach patients until 2019.