LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Efforts to expand Arkansas’ medical marijuana program have hit a roadblock after falling short of the required signatures to qualify for the November ballot, according to a Monday announcement by Secretary of State John Thurston.
The group behind the measure, Arkansans for Patient Access, indicated plans to challenge the decision in court.
Thurston’s office determined that only 88,040 of the signatures submitted were valid, falling short of the 90,704 needed from registered voters. The proposed amendment sought to expand the state’s existing medical marijuana program by broadening the range of medical professionals authorized to certify patients, expanding the list of qualifying conditions, and extending the validity of medical cannabis cards to three years.
The group submitted over 150,000 signatures in support of the proposal but was informed in July that it had not met the required threshold. Qualifying for a 30-day extension, the group submitted nearly 39,000 additional signatures, but Thurston’s office found only 10,521 of them valid, bringing the total to 88,040—still below the required number.
Arkansans for Patient Access criticized the rejection of 20,000 signatures, calling it the result of an “arbitrary” last-minute rule change. “The overwhelming support shown through the petition process proves that Arkansans want the opportunity to vote on expanded medical marijuana access,” the group said in a statement, pledging to fight for their right to have the issue on the ballot.
The rejection follows a separate legal ruling by the state Supreme Court, which recently blocked a ballot measure aimed at scaling back Arkansas’ abortion ban.
While opponents like the Family Council Action Committee praised the signature rejection, they anticipate that the state Supreme Court will ultimately decide whether the measure moves forward.
As legal battles loom, the broader debate over marijuana policy continues across the nation. Arkansas is one of many states where voters could soon have a say on cannabis issues, with other states like Florida and North and South Dakota set to vote on recreational marijuana in November.