Arkansas Supreme Court Orders Continuation of Signature Count for Cannabis Expansion Ballot Initiative

LOS ANGELES- The Arkansas Supreme Court has ordered Secretary of State John Thurston to continue counting approximately 18,000 signatures for a proposed medical cannabis expansion initiative, despite his earlier decision to invalidate them due to a paperwork issue. This decision comes as advocates from Arkansans for Patient Access (APA) challenge the state’s rejection of their petition signatures.

APA submitted over 150,000 signatures, but Thurston’s office deemed only 88,040 valid, falling short of the required 90,704. The dispute centers on signatures collected by a third-party canvassing company, which Thurston argued did not meet new state filing requirements. The court has mandated the additional signatures be counted, but the measure’s future remains uncertain as legal questions are still pending.

The proposed amendment aims to expand the state’s medical cannabis program by allowing home cultivation, broadening the pool of medical professionals who can recommend cannabis, and easing patient registration requirements. While the initiative will appear on November’s ballot, the ultimate decision on whether votes will count lies with the court.