Arkansas Supreme Court Cannabis Ballot Case Advances as Two Justices Recuse Themselves

LOS ANGELES- Two Arkansas Supreme Court justices have recused themselves from a key case involving a cannabis ballot measure, without providing any explanation for their decisions. Chief Justice John Kemp and Associate Justice Courtney Hudson will be replaced by temporary appointees, as Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders named Don Curdie, chairman of the Arkansas State Board of Public Accountancy, and a yet-to-be-named judge to fill in. The case will determine whether a cannabis-related initiative will appear on the upcoming November ballot.

The lawsuit centers on whether Secretary of State John Thurston was correct in disqualifying approximately 18,000 signatures submitted by Arkansans for Patient Access, the group behind the initiative to expand the state’s medical cannabis program. Thurston ruled that the campaign did not meet the required threshold of valid signatures, leading to the legal challenge.

The dispute hinges on the validity of signatures certified by a third-party canvassing company rather than direct members of the amendment sponsor, a potential violation of state law. The Arkansas Supreme Court has ordered Thurston to continue verifying signatures while the case proceeds.

The proposed measure, Issue 3, seeks to broaden access to medical cannabis by expanding qualifying conditions, increasing the number of authorized healthcare providers, and legalizing home cultivation. A final decision from the state’s high court will determine whether the measure reaches voters in November.