Medical marijuana IS headed for Arkansas ballot (updated)

[RainDog]

Last edited Thu Aug 23, 2012, 02:52 AM - Edit history (1)

new link -
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/08/22/arkansas-to-vote-on-legalizing-medical-marijuana-in-november/

A measure that would legalize medical marijuana in Arkansas has qualified for the November ballot, according to the Associated Press.

Arkansans for Compassionate Care delivered more than a dozen boxes to the Secretary of State last month, which contained petitions with 67,885 signatures. The group’s first submission of signatures fell short after almost half of the entries were declared invalid and purged by the Secretary of State. But organizers managed to submit an additional 74,000 signatures, even though they needed fewer than 30,000.

The Arkansas Medical Marijuana Act would allow up to 30 medical marijuana dispensaries to open in Arkansas and let patients to possess up to 2.5 ounces of cannabis. Cities and counties would be able to ban marijuana dispensaries under the law.

Only patients with cancer, glaucoma, HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis C, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, Tourette’s Disease, Crohn’s Disease, ulcerative colitis, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Fibromyalgia, and Alzheimer’s Disease would be eligible to use medical marijuana.


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original post:

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/08/14/medical-marijuana-appears-headed-for-arkansas-ballot/

A group of Arkansas drug reform activists submitted on Monday more than double the number of signatures needed to put their medical marijuana legalization initiative before the state’s voters in November.

The signatures represented the second round of petition gathering for campaigners with Arkansans for Compassionate Care, which saw its first submission of 65,413 signatures fall short after almost half of the entries were declared invalid and purged by the Secretary of State. Organizers told The Associated Press that they submitted an additional 74,000 signatures on Monday, even though they needed fewer than 30,000.

It’s not clear if voters in Arkansas, which trends deeply Republican, will approve the measure, but nationwide polling in recent years has found that an overwhelming majority of Americans favor legalizing marijuana for medical use.

...The American Nurses Association, the Lymphoma Foundation of America and the AIDS Action Council have all said that marijuana is useful in treating symptoms of numerous diseases like multiple sclerosis, AIDS wasting syndrome and chronic nausea caused by chemotherapy, among others.

[sinkingfeeling]

1. I'm anxiously awaiting the news if the signatures are valid or not.

[RainDog]

3. are you in Arkansas?

If you want to watch for the results and keep us posted, that would be great! - or even if you're not there b/c I won't be online for a while.

[sinkingfeeling]

5. Yes, I'm in Arkansas. I'll keep my eyes open for updates.

[RainDog]

6. thanks! nt

[Uncle Joe]

2. Kicked and recommended for the great state of Arkansas.

Thanks for the thread, RainDog.

[RainDog]

4. smoochie smooches, Uncle Joe!

[Uncle Joe]

12. XXXOOO, RainDog.

[ryan_cats]

7. They need to legalize medical marijuana on the federal level.

They need to legalize medical marijuana on the federal level. As long as the feds consider it a schedule 1 drug, users, suppliers and doctors can still be reamed by federal law.

Here in CA, they are cracking down on the dispensaries. I had a card a couple of years ago and when I went to the dispensaries, I thought that most customers looked like potheads but I could be wrong and I think it should either be legalized or completely decriminalized anyways. The doctor who gave me my script didn't even check me out, my $150.00 dollars was all he needed to see and I do have a medical condition. Unfortunately, the pot didn't help, but boy did it help for sleep!

One danger area was that they sold hash. While less than an OZ in CA is only an infraction, possession of hash is a felony if they decide they want to screw with you.

Anyone who lives in reality knows that, at its worst, pot is safer than cigarettes and alcohol, they should just decriminalize it.

They are really cracking down on growers as well. So much for the will of the voters.

[musiclawyer]

8. MM is not the answer

Full legalization of Cannabis/Hermp is the answer
See COL, WA and OR

Sick people who need it should get it virtually tax free

Healthy people simply pay the tax. Problem solved. POTUS (and he WILL be Obama) won't take on any states that pass legalization measures. He would have to go to court. And he would lose. He will let big pharma /private prisons sue. They will lose too. Bookmark this.

[limpyhobbler]

10. I'm starting to wonder if medical use is distracting from the cause full legal use

We only have so much time and resources. Maybe it would be better to focus on just legalizing it altogether.

In the long run I doubt doctors will prescribe a smoked drug if it is available in pill form.

[musiclawyer]

11. Most sick people vape, eat or tincture and don't smoke

So that's not the issue. But overall I agree that while MM was a necessary working around the margins, it is now a distraction. Just support the states trying to legalize and everything will fall into place as the immoral and catastrophic drug war quickly collapses. It won't be a slow collapse. It does not work that way. Fraud once exposed is doomed. If COL does this right, Denver alone will have a dozen vapor bars in place by 2014 paying taxes, creating jobs, and funding treatment. And that's not even mentioning what a revitalized hemp industry can do for the State Budget.
F-ck the street dealers, the Mexican cartels, the for profit prison industry and all the other nonsense that stems for the WOD.

[Panasonic]

13. I stopped buying pot off the streets

when I finally got myself legalized with a legal back injury (the reason I bought pot in the first place0 when the price went down from $135 to $95 - and now this year the cost to renew is $35, and the dr's visit will cost me about 55 or 60, so all in all about down $50 or so from last year.

[Le Taz Hot]

9. Alright, Arkansas!

Now THAT was unexpected. Any poll numbers out on this yet?

[RainDog]

14. check out this thread - jury refuses to hear mj case in Kansas

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=1133605

Prosecutor Defeated by Glaring Stupidity of Pot Laws

[Uncle Joe]

15. That was most encouraging, RainDog.

[Le Taz Hot]

16. That is amazing!

And I see links where this has happened in other locations.

[RainDog]

17. kick for update n/t