Arkansas Attorney General Calls for Revisions to Medical Cannabis Expansion Initiative

LOS ANGELES- In a significant development impacting Arkansas’ medical cannabis landscape, the state’s Attorney General Tim Griffin has called for revisions to a proposed ballot initiative aimed at expanding the state’s medical cannabis program. This initiative, if passed, would mark a substantial shift in the state’s approach to cannabis policy.

The proposal, as reported by the Arkansas Times, seeks to amend the state constitution to enable a broader range of healthcare practitioners to recommend medical cannabis for a wider array of ailments. However, the initiative encountered a hurdle when Griffin pointed out several technical issues in its language, though he did not object to the measure’s core substance. The initiative is seen as an extension of the successful 2016 measure legalizing medical cannabis, contrasting with the rejection of a recreational legalization measure in 2022.

The Attorney General’s concerns include a misleading “enacting clause,” ambiguous sections on industry regulations, omission of essential legal language, and undefined terminology. These issues must be addressed before the initiative can proceed to the November ballot. Arkansans for Patient Access, the campaign behind the measure, has expressed confidence in resolving these concerns in time for the election.

The initiative, supported by the state’s medical cannabis industry, proposes significant reforms. These include home cultivation for registered patients, extending the range of healthcare providers who can recommend cannabis, telemedicine referrals, recognition of out-of-state patient ID cards, elimination of application fees, and extending the program’s registration period from one to three years. Moreover, it contains a clause for adult-use legalization, contingent on federal legalization of cannabis.

The rejection and subsequent call for revision highlight the complex regulatory landscape governing cannabis. With Arkansas medical cannabis retailers recording approximately $283 million in sales last year, the industry’s growth and the potential impact of this initiative are evident. Advocates now face a tight deadline until July 5 to gather over 90,000 signatures for the initiative to qualify for the ballot, underscoring the urgency and significance of these developments in Arkansas’ evolving cannabis policy framework.