A recent poll found that Arkansas voters may have cooled on the state’s upcoming cannabis legalization initiative as support for the initiative has dropped to 50.5%, about eight points lower than last month’s polling.
Poll: Support Shrinking for Cannabis Legalization Initiative in Arkansas
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Polling surrounding the cannabis legalization initiative is getting tighter as a Talk Business & Politics-Hendrix College Poll conducted from Oct. 17-18, 2022 found 50.5% of respondents were for the amendment with 43% opposed and 6.5% undecided. One month ago, the TB&P-Hendrix Poll found 58.5% support with 29% opposed and 12.5% undecided.
The poll found 36.5% of respondents were “definitely for” the reforms, 14% were “probably for,” 33.5% were “definitely against,” and 9.5% were “probably against.”
Roby Brock, Talk Business & Politics editor-in-chief, described the polling around the amendment as seeing “tremendous movement over the past month.”
“Opponents have been able to improve their standing by swaying undecided voters and even peeling off some soft support that was once there. I think the media campaigns for and against this measure make it the most interesting statewide race to watch on Election Night.” — Brock in a statement
Dr. Jay Barth, emeritus professor of politics at Hendrix College, said the October survey allowed supporters and opponents to group themselves into “certain or probable” support of the measure – a change from how the previous poll was conducted.
“Here, opposition is more firm in its views with more supporters of Issue 4 still open to changing their views on the issue between now and casting a vote,” he said in a statement. An issue that felt like a slam dunk before the Supreme Court action now feels like a very close call. Issue 4 is, for sure, advantaged but this one will likely be close.”
The state Supreme Court in August ruled to allow the question to be put to voters after the state Board of Election Commissioners rejected the ballot’s name and title, which would have barred it from ballots without the court’s intervention.
Gov. Ava Hutchinson (R) last month came out in opposition of the reforms, saying on Twitter that adult-use cannabis “leads to increased drug use among minors & more dangerous roadways.”
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