Arkansas Cannabis Amendment (2016)
| Arkansas Cannabis Amendment | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Election date November 8, 2016 | |
| Topic Marijuana | |
| Status Not on the ballot | |
| Type Constitutional amendment | Origin Citizens |
| Not on Ballot |
|---|
 |
| This measure was not put on an election ballot |
The Arkansas Cannabis Amendment did not make the November 8, 2016, ballot in Arkansas as an initiated constitutional amendment.
The measure would have amended the Arkansas Constitution to legalize marijuana.[1]
Text of measure
Ballot title
The ballot title for the initiative was:[1]
| “ |
An amendment to the Arkansas Constitution concerning the cannabis plant, providing that the cultivation, production, distribution, sale, possession, and use of the cannabis plant and cannabis-related products produced therefrom for recreational and medical purposes may not be prohibited under state law but shall be regulated under state law; recognizing that such activities remain unlawful under federal law; providing for the release from incarceration, probation, or parole of all persons whose only conviction(s) were of state laws pertaining to the cultivation, production, distribution, sale, and possession of marijuana or possession of marijuana paraphernalia, and the expungement of records relating to such conviction(s); dividing cannabis into industrial hemp (containing 0.3% or less THC) and marijuana (containing more than 0.3% THC); authorizing both medical and recreational use of marijuana; providing that anyone 21 years of age or older may obtain a marijuana license permitting the person to cultivate, produce, distribute, and sell marijuana and products produced therefrom; providing that a licensed person may cultivate up to 36 cannabis plants in a location not subject to public view without optical aid; providing that sales of recreational marijuana will be subject to existing sales taxes and an additional 5% excise tax; providing that the state shall not impose any tax on the sale of medical marijuana to patients; permitting medical use of marijuana by a person of any age whose physician has recommended such use in writing; providing that the manufacture, possession, purchase, sale, and distribution of marijuana paraphernalia is lawful under state law; and providing that the amendment is not intended to (a) require employers to permit activities relating to marijuana in the workplace, (b) permit driving under the influence of marijuana, (c) permit the transfer of recreational marijuana to anyone under 21 years of age, or (d) permit anyone under 21 years of age to cultivate, produce, sell, possess, or use recreational marijuana. [2] |
” |
Support
Supporters
Mary Berry filed the request to circulate this initiative.[1]
Opposition
If you know of opposition that should be posted here, please email editor@ballotpedia.org.
Path to the ballot
Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge approved this initiative for circulation on April 25, 2016.[1]
Supporters of the measure, an initiated constitutional amendment, had until July 8, 2016, to submit 84,859 valid signatures. Further, proponents were required to collect signatures equaling at least 5 percent of the previous gubernatorial votes in at least 15 of the state's counties. For example, if 1,000 people voted for governor in a county, the signatures of 50 qualified electors would be required. Signatures were not submitted by the July 8, 2016, deadline.
State profile
| Demographic data for Arkansas | ||
|---|---|---|
| Arkansas | U.S. | |
| Total population: | 2,977,853 | 316,515,021 |
| Land area (sq mi): | 52,035 | 3,531,905 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White: | 78% | 73.6% |
| Black/African American: | 15.5% | 12.6% |
| Asian: | 1.4% | 5.1% |
| Native American: | 0.6% | 0.8% |
| Pacific Islander: | 0.2% | 0.2% |
| Two or more: | 2.1% | 3% |
| Hispanic/Latino: | 6.9% | 17.1% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate: | 84.8% | 86.7% |
| College graduation rate: | 21.1% | 29.8% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income: | $41,371 | $53,889 |
| Persons below poverty level: | 22.9% | 11.3% |
| Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Arkansas. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. | ||
Presidential voting pattern
- See also: Presidential voting trends in Arkansas
Arkansas voted Republican in all seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.
Pivot Counties (2016)
Ballotpedia identified 206 counties that voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016 after voting for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012. Collectively, Trump won these Pivot Counties by more than 580,000 votes. Of these 206 counties, one is located in Arkansas, accounting for 0.5 percent of the total pivot counties.[3]
Pivot Counties (2020)
In 2020, Ballotpedia re-examined the 206 Pivot Counties to view their voting patterns following that year's presidential election. Ballotpedia defined those won by Trump won as Retained Pivot Counties and those won by Joe Biden (D) as Boomerang Pivot Counties. Nationwide, there were 181 Retained Pivot Counties and 25 Boomerang Pivot Counties. Arkansas had one Retained Pivot County, 0.55 percent of all Retained Pivot Counties.
More Arkansas coverage on Ballotpedia
- Elections in Arkansas
- United States congressional delegations from Arkansas
- Public policy in Arkansas
- Endorsers in Arkansas
- Arkansas fact checks
- More...
See also
- Arkansas 2016 ballot measures
- 2016 ballot measures
- Marijuana on the ballot
- Arkansas Legislature
- List of Arkansas ballot measures
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Arkansas Attorney General, "Opinion No. 2016-039," April 25, 2016
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ The raw data for this study was provided by Dave Leip of Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections.
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