ARKANSAS, USA — Arkansans for Patient Access (APA) has successfully gathered more than 150,000 signatures from Arkansans across all 75 counties in the state.
In question are 18,000 signatures collected during what's called a "cure period" that gives groups time for additional signatures.
Thurston refused to count those signatures. Without them, the ballot measure falls short about 2,600 signatures of the over 90,000 required to be certified on to the November ballot. So, APA filed a lawsuit asking the Arkansas Supreme Court to mandate Thurston to do so ahead of the start of early voting on Oct. 21.
The court agreed and ordered Thurston to verify those signatures by Friday at noon. But the Arkansas Supreme Court still must deliberate whether votes on this issue will be counted in November.
All parties involved, including APA, Thurston, and his representation Attorney General Tim Griffin, along with an intervening group opposed to medical marijuana expansion in Arkansas, must file their arguments on Friday.
While the ballot item will be listed at the polls in November, this decision will decide whether or not the votes will be counted.
In the meantime, two supreme court justices have recused themselves from this lawsuit. Governor Sanders must appoint temporary justices that have served at least eight years or is a retired judge.
Arkansans for Patient Access sent 5NEWS the following statement:
"We are pleased the Supreme Court has instructed Secretary Thurston to count all the signatures submitted. Arkansans who took the time and went to the effort to sign a petition deserve for their signatures to be counted. Over 150,000 people hailing from each of the seventy-five counties signed petitions to place the Medical Marijuana Amendment of 2024 on the ballot. We are confident that once all of the signatures are validated the 90,704 required for certification will be far exceeded."
"The court has ordered an expedited briefing schedule which should bring about a decision in this lawsuit in short order. We believe the law is clear and the proposed medical marijuana amendment will be certified."
"Arkansans voted to create a medical marijuana program in 2016. It has proven to be safe and well received with over 100,000 patients now enrolled. This amendment which will be Issue 3 on the ballot, will build upon and improve the existing program by expanding patient access and lowering the cost to obtain and keep a patient card."
We reached out to the Secretary of State's Office for comment and did not receive a response.
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