Arkansas Issue 3, Medical Marijuana Expansion Initiative (2024)

Arkansas Medical Marijuana Expansion Initiative
Election date November 5, 2024
Topic Marijuana
Status Not on the ballot
Type Constitutional amendment	Origin Citizens

The Arkansas Medical Marijuana Expansion Initiative was included on the ballot in Arkansas as an initiated constitutional amendment on November 5, 2024; however, on September 30, 2024, Secretary of State John Thurston announced that votes on the measure would not be counted. Thurston determined that proponents submitted a total of 88,040 signatures, falling short of the 90,704 signatures required. Proponents of the measure said they would pursue legal action to overturn Thurston's determination. The measure was provisionally placed on the ballot because signature verification was ongoing amid the deadline for the final statewide ballot to be printed. On October 21, 2024, the Arkansas Supreme Court ruled that, although the sponsors submitted enough valid signatures to qualify for the ballot, the amendment's ballot language was misleading and that votes on the measure would not be counted.

Overview

What would Issue 3 have done?

See also: Measure design

Issue 3 would have expanded certain provisions of the state's medical marijuana program, which was created through voter approval of Issue 6 in 2016. The initiative would have:

• allowed medical marijuana patients to grow up to 14 marijuana plants including up to seven mature plants;
• allowed health care practitioners, including doctors of medicine, doctors of osteopathic medicine, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and pharmacists to certify patients;
• expanded qualifying medical conditions to include any condition that a health care practitioner finds debilitating to the patient and that may be alleviated by the use of marijuana;
• allowed patient assessments through telemedicine;
• removed certain restrictions on marijuana advertising;
• accepted out-of-state medical marijuana cards; and

Under Issue 3, adults would have been allowed to possess up to one ounce of marijuana if federal law changes to remove marijuana from the schedule of controlled substances or if marijuana possession is decriminalized.

Issue 3 would have added a provision to Section 1 of Article 5 of the state constitution providing that, "Unless expressly allowed in such constitutional amendment, no constitutional amendment shall be amended or repealed unless approved by a vote of the people under this Constitution."

How would Issue 3 have changed the existing medical marijuana program?

See also: Measure design and Background

Arkansas' medical marijuana program was established following voter approval of Issue 6 in 2016. Issue 6 was approved with 53.11% of voters in favor. The amendment was placed on the ballot through a signature petition drive sponsored by the group Arkansans United for Medical Marijuana.

The following table details existing provisions under Issue 6 alongside proposed changes under Issue 3.

Current medical marijuana provisions under Issue 6 of 2016	Provisions proposed under Issue 3
No home-grow allowed	Allow medical marijuana patients to grow up to 14 (and up to seven mature) marijuana plants at home
Only doctors of medicine or doctors of osteopathic medicine may certify patients	Allow all health care practitioners, including doctors of medicine, doctors of osteopathic medicine, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and pharmacists to certify patients
Allow medical marijuana treatment for 12 listed conditions and other conditions with symptoms of wasting syndrome, neuropathy, intractable pain, severe nausea, seizures, or severe and persistent muscle spasms; as well as any additional condition approved by the Department of Health	Retains present provision but adds that any health care practitioner may certify a patient for any condition the provider considers to be debilitating to the patient and which may be alleviated by the use of marijuana
Requires in-person appointments for medical marijuana certification	Provides for telemedicine appointments for medical marijuana certification
Marijuana cards are valid for one year and require a $50 application fee and a $50 renewal fee each year	Extends the time period that medical marijuana cards are valid to three years and removes the initial application and renewal fees
Usable marijuana includes stalks, seeds, roots, dried leaves, flowers, oils, vapors, waxes, and other portions of the marijuana plant and any mixture or preparation thereof	Usable marijuana includes cannabis and other substances including any parts of the plant Cannabis sativa, whether growing or not, its seeds and the resin extracted from any part of the plant; and any compound, manufacture, salt, derivative, mixture, isomer or preparation of the plant, including tetrahydrocannabinol and all other cannabinol derivatives
Individuals with out-of-state medical marijuana cards may apply and receive a visiting patient card (with a fee of $50) allowing them to purchase medical marijuana for a 90-day period	Allows individuals with out-of-state medical marijuana cards to use their card to purchase medical marijuana at Arkansas dispensaries

How many states provide for medical marijuana?

See also: Medical marijuana in the U.S.

As of September 2024, medical marijuana was legal in 38 states and the District of Columbia. Twelve states (shaded grey in the map below) did not provide for a medical marijuana program.

• Of the 38 states, 18 states established medical marijuana through the ballot initiative process.
• In 20 states, medical marijuana programs were established through legislation.

From 1972 through 2020, 30 initiatives to create medical marijuana programs were on the ballot, of which, 22 (73%) were approved and eight (27%) were defeated.

What did supporters and opponents say about Issue 3?

See also: Support and Opposition

Arkansans for Patient Access led the campaign in support the initiative. Donors to the campaign include marijuana cultivation facilities and dispensaries such as Osage Creek Cultivation, NEA Green LLC, Capital City Medicinal, and Valentine Holdings. Bill Paschall, a member of the campaign committee, said, "Our canvassers found voters eager to place an amendment on the ballot that will eliminate barriers to access and make it less expensive to acquire and keep a medical marijuana card. ... We are confident that Arkansans will respond positively and ultimately vote for the proposed amendment because it will reduce barriers to obtaining a medical marijuana card, eliminate the annual renewal hassle and give patients more product choices."

Stronger Arkansas led the campaign in opposition to the initiative. HUCK PAC, formed by former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (R), contributed to the opposition campaign. The Family Council Action Committee opposes Issue 3, saying, "This amendment gives free marijuana cards to immigrants and out-of-state residents at a cost to Arkansas taxpayers. Just like in Colorado, California, and Oregon, people from out-of-state will flood our streets with marijuana. Arkansas already has medical marijuana. This is recreational marijuana by another name. Under this amendment, healthy people could qualify for a free marijuana card because they would no longer need a doctor’s certification saying they suffer from a specific condition listed in state law. That means people may be able to use marijuana without proving they have a qualifying medical condition. This is not true medicine or healthcare. The marijuana industry crafted this amendment and they are writing themselves and marijuana into our state constitution. The amendment prohibits the Arkansas Legislature, cities, or counties from passing any laws, including zoning and taxes, to regulate marijuana use."

Text of measure

Popular name

The popular name for this initiative was as follows:

“

The Arkansas Medical Marijuana Amendment of 2024

”

Ballot title

The ballot title for this initiative was as follows:

“ This amendment to the Arkansas Constitution expands access to medical marijuana by qualified patients under the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Amendment of 2016, Amendment 98 and ratifies and affirms that amendment as originally adopted and as amended by any legislative act, except as specified; amending Amendment 98, § 2(4)(B) to define "cultivation facility" as including sale and delivery of usable marijuana to a processor; amending Amendment 98, § 2(12) to replace the definition of "physician" with "health care practitioner," which includes medical and osteopathic doctors, nurse practitioners, physicians' assistants, and pharmacists and to remove requirements for federal controlled-substances registration; amending Amendment 98, §§ 4(f), 5(a)(l), 5(f)(1), 5(h), and 15 to replace references to physicians with references to health care practitioners; amending Amendment 98, § 2(13)(C) to add language to the definition of "qualifying medical condition" to include any condition not otherwise specified in Amendment 98 that a health care practitioner considers debilitating to a patient that might be alleviated by the use of usable marijuana; amending Amendment 98, § 2(14)(A) to allow non-Arkansas residents to apply for and receive registry identification cards in the same way as Arkansas residents; amending Amendment 98, § 2(17) to define "usable marijuana" as cannabis and other substances including all parts of the plant Cannabis sativa, whether growing or not, including any seeds, resin, compound, manufacture, salt, derivative, mixture, isomer or preparation of the plant, including tetrahydrocannabinol and all other cannabinol derivatives, and to exclude hemp with a delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol concentration of not more than 0.3 percent on a dry weight basis; amending Amendment 98, § 2(19) to remove language requiring a physician-patient relationship from the definition of "written certification" and to allow assessments in person or by telemedicine; amending Amendment 98, § 3(e) to allow licensed dispensaries to receive, transfer, or sell marijuana seedlings, plants, or usable marijuana to and from Arkansas-licensed cultivation facilities, processors, or other dispensaries, to accept marijuana seeds, seedlings, or clones from any individual or entity authorized by law to possess them, and to sell usable marijuana, marijuana seedlings, plants or seeds to qualifying patients and designated caregivers; amending Amendment 98, § 3(h) to remove language allowing professional licensing boards to sanction a physician for improper evaluation of a patient's medical condition or for violating the standard of care; amending Amendment 98, §3(1) to remove authorization for Department of Health rules concerning visiting qualifying patients obtaining marijuana from a dispensary; amending Amendment 98, § 4(a)(4)(A) to require criminal background checks for all applicants seeking to serve as designated caregivers, with the exception of parents or guardians of minors who are qualifying patients applying to serve as designated caregivers for those minors; amending Amendment 98, § 5(a)(2) to remove language requiring reasonable registry identification card application fees or renewal fees; amending Amendment 98, § 5(d) to extend the expiration date of registry identification cards from one to three years and to add two additional years to the expiration date of existing cards; amending Amendment 98, § 8(e)(8) to remove and replace advertising restrictions with restrictions for dispensaries, processors, and cultivation facilities narrowly tailored to prevent advertising and packaging from appealing to children and to require the Alcoholic Beverage Control to make rules that require packaging that cannot be opened by a child or that prevents ready access to toxic or harmful amounts of the product; amending Amendment 98, § 8(m)(l)(A) to remove prohibitions on dispensary-provided paraphernalia requiring combustion of marijuana; amending Amendment 98, § 8(m)(4)(A)(ii) to allow cultivation facilities to sell marijuana in any form to dispensaries, processors, or other cultivation facilities; amending Amendment 98, § 16 to replace its current language with a waiver of state sovereign immunity so that a licensed person or entity may seek injunctive relief in the event the state fails to follow Amendment 98; amending Amendment 98, § 21 to remove a prohibition on the growing of marijuana by qualifying patients and designated caregivers and to allow such growing under Amendment 98; repealing Amendment 98, §§ 23 and 26 in their entirety; amending Amendment 98 to allow qualifying patients or caregivers at least 21 years old and in possession of a valid registry identification card to possess, plant, dry, and process marijuana plants in limited quantities and sizes at their domicile solely for the personal use of the qualifying patient, to prohibit sale, bartering, and trade of such marijuana plants, and to provide for regulation of such activities by the Alcoholic Beverage Control Division; amending Amendment 98 to allow possession by adults of up to one ounce of usable marijuana, to allow sale of marijuana by licensed cultivation facilities and dispensaries for adult use if current federal law prohibiting such activities changes, and to provide for the regulation of the wholesale and retail of marijuana by licensed cultivation facilities and dispensaries by the Alcoholic Beverage Control Division; amending Arkansas Constitution, Article 5, § 1, to provide that unless provided in such constitutional amendment, no constitutional amendment shall be amended or repealed unless approved by the people under the Constitution; providing that this amendment's provisions are severable, nullifying any provision of state law in conflict with this amendment; and providing that the amendment is self executing. ”

Measure design

Issue 3 would have expanded certain provisions of the state's medical marijuana program, which was established following voter approval of Medical marijuana in Arkansas was created through voter approval of Issue 6 in 2016, also known as Amendment 98.

Issue 3 would have allowed for adult use of recreational marijuana if marijuana is removed as a controlled substance from the Federal Controlled Substance Act or if and when possession of marijuana is no longer a criminal offense.

Issue 3 would have added a provision to the state constitution stating, "Unless expressly allowed in such constitutional amendment, no constitutional amendment shall be amended or repealed unless approved by a vote of the people under this Constitution."

Changes to state medical marijuana program

The initiative would have made the following changes to the state's medical marijuana program:

Current medical marijuana provisions under Issue 6 of 2016	Provisions proposed under Issue 3
No home-grow allowed	Allow medical marijuana patients to grow up to 14 (and up to seven mature) marijuana plants at home
Only doctors of medicine or doctors of osteopathic medicine may certify patients	Allow all health care practitioners, including doctors of medicine, doctors of osteopathic medicine, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and pharmacists to certify patients
Allow medical marijuana treatment for 12 listed conditions and other conditions with symptoms of wasting syndrome, neuropathy, intractable pain, severe nausea, seizures, or severe and persistent muscle spasms; as well as any additional condition approved by the Department of Health	Retains present provision but adds that any health care practitioner may certify a patient for any condition the provider considers to be debilitating to the patient and which may be alleviated by the use of marijuana
Requires in-person appointments for medical marijuana certification	Provides for telemedicine appointments for medical marijuana certification
Marijuana cards are valid for one year and require a $50 application fee and a $50 renewal fee each year	Extends the time period that medical marijuana cards are valid to three years and removes the initial application and renewal fees
Usable marijuana includes stalks, seeds, roots, dried leaves, flowers, oils, vapors, waxes, and other portions of the marijuana plant and any mixture or preparation thereof	Usable marijuana includes cannabis and other substances including any parts of the plant Cannabis sativa, whether growing or not, its seeds and the resin extracted from any part of the plant; and any compound, manufacture, salt, derivative, mixture, isomer or preparation of the plant, including tetrahydrocannabinol and all other cannabinol derivatives
Individuals with out-of-state medical marijuana cards may apply and receive a visiting patient card (with a fee of $50) allowing them to purchase medical marijuana for a 90-day period	Allows individuals with out-of-state medical marijuana cards to use their card to purchase medical marijuana at Arkansas dispensaries

Adult use provision if marijuana is removed from the federal controlled substance list

The amendment would have created a new provision allowing all adults in Arkansas to possess up to one ounce of marijuana if the federal government removes marijuana from the list federal controlled substances or, if and when marijuana possession is no longer a criminal offense. In this event, Issue 3 would have authorized medical marijuana dispensaries to sell marijuana to adults.

Change to constitutional initiative and referendum provisions

Issue 3 would have added a provision to Section 1 of Article 5 of the state constitution providing that, "Unless expressly allowed in such constitutional amendment, no constitutional amendment shall be amended or repealed unless approved by a vote of the people under this Constitution."

Currently, any change to a state constitution must be referred to the ballot for voter approval or rejection, except in the state of Delaware.

Support

Arkansans for Patient Access led the campaign in support the initiative.

Supporters

If you are aware of organizations or individuals that have endorsed the campaign in support of Issue 3, please send an email with a link to editor@ballotpedia.org.

Arguments

• Bill Paschall, Arkansans for Patient Access campaign committee member: "Our canvassers found voters eager to place an amendment on the ballot that will eliminate barriers to access and make it less expensive to acquire and keep a medical marijuana card. ... We are confident that Arkansans will respond positively and ultimately vote for the proposed amendment because it will reduce barriers to obtaining a medical marijuana card, eliminate the annual renewal hassle and give patients more product choices."
• Amy Martin, owner of The Greenery dispensary in Fort Smith: "The goal of this ballot proposal is to reaffirm and build upon Amendment 98 to better serve patients. This amendment reflects a commitment to the principles established by the state’s voters. It reduces barriers and streamlines processes so qualifying patients can access the medicines and treatment options that best serve them."

Opposition

Stronger Arkansas led the campaign in opposition to the initiative.

Opponents

Officials

• Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R)

Organizations

• Family Council

Arguments

• Family Council Action Committee: "This amendment gives free marijuana cards to immigrants and out-of-state residents at a cost to Arkansas taxpayers. Just like in Colorado, California, and Oregon, people from out-of-state will flood our streets with marijuana. Arkansas already has medical marijuana. This is recreational marijuana by another name. Under this amendment, healthy people could qualify for a free marijuana card because they would no longer need a doctor’s certification saying they suffer from a specific condition listed in state law. That means people may be able to use marijuana without proving they have a qualifying medical condition. This is not true medicine or healthcare. The marijuana industry crafted this amendment and they are writing themselves and marijuana into our state constitution. The amendment prohibits the Arkansas Legislature, cities, or counties from passing any laws, including zoning and taxes, to regulate marijuana use."

Campaign finance

See also: Campaign finance requirements for Arkansas ballot measures

The campaign finance information on this page reflects the most recent scheduled reports that Ballotpedia has processed, which covered through June 30, 2024.

Arkansans for Patient Access registered to support the initiative. The committee reported $1.65 million in contributions.

Stronger Arkansas registered to oppose the initiative, as well as the abortion initiative. The committee reported $375,000 in contributions. Because the committee is opposing both measures, it is impossible to differentiate specific funds spent on each measure individually.

	Cash Contributions	In-Kind Contributions	Total Contributions	Cash Expenditures	Total Expenditures
Support	$2,021,568.65	$0.00	$2,021,568.65	$2,023,037.72	$2,023,037.72
Oppose	$375,000.00	$0.00	$375,000.00	$373,344.05	$373,344.05
Total	$2,396,568.65	$0.00	$2,396,568.65	$2,396,381.77	$2,396,381.77

Support

The following table includes contribution and expenditure totals for the committee in support of the initiative.

Committees in support of Issue 3
Committee	Cash Contributions	In-Kind Contributions	Total Contributions	Cash Expenditures	Total Expenditures
Arkansans for Patient Access	$2,021,568.65	$0.00	$2,021,568.65	$2,023,037.72	$2,023,037.72
Total	$2,021,568.65	$0.00	$2,021,568.65	$2,023,037.72	$2,023,037.72

Donors

The top donors to the support campaign were as follows:

Donor	Cash Contributions	In-Kind Contributions	Total Contributions
Osage Creek Cultivation	$102,000.00	$0.00	$102,000.00
Danny Brown	$100,000.00	$0.00	$100,000.00
NEA Green LLC	$100,000.00	$0.00	$100,000.00
Valentine Holdings	$91,538.59	$0.00	$91,538.59
Capital City Medicinal	$85,934.59	$0.00	$85,934.59

Opposition

The following table includes contribution and expenditure totals for the committee in opposition to the initiative.

Committees in opposition to Issue 3
Committee	Cash Contributions	In-Kind Contributions	Total Contributions	Cash Expenditures	Total Expenditures
Stronger Arkansas	$375,000.00	$0.00	$375,000.00	$373,344.05	$373,344.05
Total	$375,000.00	$0.00	$375,000.00	$373,344.05	$373,344.05

Donors

The top donors to the opposition campaign were as follows:

Donor	Cash Contributions	In-Kind Contributions	Total Contributions
Ray Ruddy	$100,000.00	$0.00	$100,000.00
HUCK PAC	$25,000.00	$0.00	$25,000.00

Methodology

To read Ballotpedia's methodology for covering ballot measure campaign finance information, click here.

Background

Arkansas medical marijuana

Arkansas approved a medical marijuana initiative in 2016.

As of September 21, 2024, the Arkansas Department of Health reported 106,640 active medical marijuana cards. The state had 37 licensed dispensaries.

The following statistics were published in the state's 2023 medical marijuana report, which covered information from July 1, 2022, through June 30, 2023.

Medical marijuana ballot measures in Arkansas

See also: Arkansas Medical Marijuana Amendment, Issue 6 (2016) and Arkansas Medical Marijuana Question, Issue 5 (2012)

In 2016, Arkansas voters approved Issue 6 with 53.11% of voters in favor. The amendment was placed on the ballot through a signature petition drive sponsored by the group Arkansans United for Medical Marijuana. The initiative established a medical marijuana program for 17 qualifying conditions and allowed for the establishment and regulation of marijuana dispensaries and cultivation facilities. Issue 6 applied the state and local taxes on sales to medical marijuana. The measure was designed to allocate revenue from these taxes to cover administration costs and then, of the remaining revenue, 50% to the Vocational and Technical Training Special Revenue Fund, 30% to the General Fund, 10% to the workforce training programs, 5% to the Department of Health, 4% to Alcoholic Beverage Control administrative and enforcement divisions, and 1% to the Medical Marijuana Commission. The measure permitted voters to ban marijuana dispensaries and cultivation facilities in their municipalities. Issue 6 authorized the Arkansas Legislature to amend sections of the amendment, except the sections legalizing medical marijuana and setting the number of dispensaries, by a two-thirds vote.

In 2012, Arkansas voters defeated Issue 5, a citizen initiative sponsored by a group called Arkansans for Compassionate Care. The measure was rejected by a vote of 51.44% opposed to 48.66% in favor.

Medical marijuana in the U.S.

See also: History of marijuana ballot measures and laws

As of September 2024, medical marijuana was legal in 38 states and the District of Columbia. Twelve states (shaded grey in the map below) did not provide for a medical marijuana program.

• Of the 38 states, 18 states established medical marijuana through the ballot initiative process.
• In 20 states, medical marijuana programs were established through legislation.

Medical marijuana ballot measures since 1972

See also: History of marijuana ballot measures and laws

The following table provides information on medical marijuana ballot measures since 1972.

State	Year	Measure	Outcome	Yes	No	Origin	Topic
Alaska	1998	Measure 8	a	58.67%	41.33%	Initiative	Medical
Nevada	1998	Question 9	a	58.65%	41.35%	Initiative	Medical
Oregon	1998	Measure 67	a	54.60%	45.40%	Initiative	Medical
Washington	1998	Initiative 692	a	58.97%	41.03%	Initiative	Medical
Arizona	1998	Proposition 300	d	36.12%	63.88%	Initiative	Medical
Maine	1999	Question 2	a	61.41%	38.59%	Initiative	Medical
Colorado	2000	Initiative 20	a	53.78%	46.22%	Initiative	Medical
Nevada	2000	Question 9	a	65.38%	34.62%	Initiative	Medical
Montana	2004	I-148	a	61.81%	38.19%	Initiative	Medical
Oregon	2004	Measure 33	d	42.78%	57.22%	Initiative	Medical
South Dakota	2006	Initiative 4	d	47.70%	52.30%	Initiative	Medical
Michigan	2008	Proposal 1	a	62.66%	37.34%	Initiative	Medical
Maine	2009	Question 5	a	58.87%	41.13%	Initiative	Medical
Arizona	2010	Proposition 203	a	50.10%	49.90%	Initiative	Medical
Oregon	2010	Measure 74	d	44.21%	55.79%	Initiative	Medical
Montana	2012	IR-124	a	57.25%	42.75%	Initiative	Medical
Massachusetts	2012	Question 3	a	63.30%	36.70%	Initiative	Medical
Arkansas	2012	Issue 5	d	48.56%	51.44%	Initiative	Medical
Florida	2014	Amendment 2	d	57.62%	42.38%	Initiative	Medical
Washington	2015	Advisory Vote No. 11	a	41.27%	58.73%	Referral	Medical
Arkansas	2016	Issue 6	a	53.11%	46.89%	Initiative	Medical
Montana	2016	I-182	a	57.87%	42.13%	Initiative	Medical
North Dakota	2016	Initiated Measure 5	a	63.79%	36.21%	Initiative	Medical
Florida	2016	Amendment 2	a	71.32%	28.68%	Initiative	Medical
Missouri	2018	Amendment 2	a	65.59%	34.41%	Initiative	Medical
Oklahoma	2018	State Question 788	a	56.86%	43.14%	Initiative	Medical
Utah	2018	Proposition 2	a	52.75%	47.25%	Initiative	Medical
Missouri	2018	Amendment 3	d	31.50%	68.50%	Initiative	Medical
Missouri	2018	Proposition C	d	43.57%	56.43%	Initiative	Medical
Mississippi	2020	Ballot Measure 1	a/ot	68.52%	31.48%	Initiative	Medical
South Dakota	2020	Initiated Measure 26	a	69.92%	30.08%	Initiative	Medical

Path to the ballot

See also: Laws governing the initiative process in Arkansas

The state process

In Arkansas, the number of signatures required to qualify an initiated constitutional amendment for the ballot is equal to 10 percent of the votes cast for governor in the most recent gubernatorial election. Proponents must collect signatures equaling at least half of the designated percentage of gubernatorial votes in at least 50 of the state's counties. Signatures remain valid until the date of the next general election following the certification of ballot language. Signature petitions must be submitted four months prior to the election at which the measure is to appear.

The requirements to get initiated constitutional amendments certified for the 2024 ballot:

• Signatures: 90,704 valid signatures
• Deadline: The deadline to submit signatures was July 5, 2024.

If the secretary of state certifies that enough signatures were submitted in a petition, the initiative is put on the ballot. If a petition fails to meet the signature requirement, but the petition has at least 75 percent of the valid signatures needed, petitioners have 30 days to collect additional signatures or demonstrate that rejected signatures are valid.

Details about this initiative

• Attorney General Tim Griffin approved the ballot language for the initiative in Opinion 2024-037 on February 29, 2024.
• Sponsors reported submitting 111,402 signatures on July 5.
• Secretary of State John Thurston found that sponsors submitted about 77,000 valid signatures. Sponsors were given a cure period to collect additional signatures due by August 30.
• Sponsors submitted an additional 38,933 signatures on August 30, 2024.
• On September 30, 2024, Secretary of State John Thurston announced that proponents submitted a total of 88,040 signatures, falling short of the number required, and therefore that votes on the measure would not be counted. Proponents of the measure said they would pursue legal action to overturn Thurston's determination.
• On October 2, 2024, the Arkansas Supreme Court ordered the secretary of state's office to "immediately begin verifying the (~18,000) remaining signatures submitted during the cure period until the 90,704 threshold or just beyond is met.”

Lawsuit

Lawsuit overview
Issue: Whether the initiative is sufficient to have votes cast; whether the ballot language is inaccurate or misleading
Court: Arkansas Supreme Court
Plaintiff(s): Arkansans for Patient Access	Defendant(s): Secretary of State John Thurston (R)

  Source: Arkansas Supreme Court

On October 21, 2024, the Arkansas Supreme Court ruled that, although the sponsors submitted enough valid signatures to qualify for the ballot, the amendment's ballot language was misleading and that votes on the measure would not be counted.

See also

2024 measures

• 2024 ballot measures
• Marijuana on the ballot
• 2024 petition deadlines

Arkansas

• Arkansas ballot measures
• Arkansas initiative laws

News and analysis

• Ballot measure lawsuits
• Ballot measure readability
• Ballot measure polls
• Ballot measure signature costs

External links

• Attorney General Ballot Title Opinion No 2024-037