ARKANSAS, USA — A measure to legalize recreational marijuana in Arkansas will be on the November ballot, but whether the votes will be counted is still up in the air, according to the Arkansas Supreme Court.
On Aug. 3, the state Board of Election Commissioners denied certification to include recreational marijuana on the ballot, saying the proposal didn't have sufficient background checks for dispensary owners or THC limits.
Over 192,000 signatures were submitted in early July for the proposal which far exceeded the 89,151 signatures needed.
Responsible Growth Arkansas (RGA), the group that gathered the signatures, filed a lawsuit alleging that the board made an "incorrect" denial because it rejects "hundreds of thousands of Arkansans to have the opportunity to vote on the Amendment."
The Arkansas Supreme Court issued an order on Aug. 10 allowing the measure to remain on the ballot conditionally while it has time to decide whether the state board's denial was valid.
Update:
In the Court's decision on Thursday, Sept. 22, it said, "We give the ballot title a liberal construction and interpretation in order that it secure the purposes of reserving to the people this power," ruling the votes toward legalizing marijuana in Arkansas would in fact be counted.
We will update this article with more information as it becomes available.
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