The Arkansas Supreme Court on Monday struck down a ballot measure aimed at expanding access to medical marijuana, ruling that it did not adequately inform voters of its full implications.

The initiative aimed to redefine which medical professionals can certify patients for medical cannabis use, expand the list of eligibility conditions, and extend the validity of medical cannabis cards to three years. According to To the Associated Press. But in a 4-3 ruling, the justices found that the measure did not adequately disclose that it would prevent Congress from amending the 2016 constitutional amendment that originally legalized medical marijuana in Arkansas. did.

According to the Associated Press, Judge Sean Womack said the ballot title was “clearly misleading” and that if federal law were to change, the proposed amendment would allow up to an ounce of marijuana for any use. He also stated that the content stating that he was allowed to possess the same was also omitted. In a dissenting opinion, Judge Cody Hyland argued that the court’s decision contradicts longstanding precedent regarding the description of voting scales.

Court says votes won’t count under Arkansas medical marijuana ballot measure https://t.co/vypaNybPhv

— Associated Press (@AP) October 21, 2024

“Long ago, this court established a definitive standard for evaluating the sufficiency of popular names and ballot titles,” Hyland wrote. According to To court documents shared by KATV. “This court has not departed from these standards to date.”

The issue also extends to petition signatures for the measure, after the organization supporting the initiative, Arkansans for Patient Access, was told by the Secretary of State that it did not have the required number of signatures, a claim the group disputes. He claimed that political interference was the cause. said the Associated Press. However, the court rejected the state’s justification for stripping away some of the signatures collected in connection with the process undertaken by paid signature collectors.

Despite the legal setback, Arkansans for Patient Access has vowed to continue advocating for expansion of the state’s medical marijuana program, citing widespread support as evidenced by the signatures it has collected. The paper reported. The issue was first brought to the court’s attention by the group Protect Arkansas Kids, which opposed the bill and challenged the clarity of the ballot language. (Related: Biden regulators call for loosening marijuana regulations)

In April, it was reported that the Biden administration would propose changing the classification of marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III. The Drug Enforcement Administration is expected to act on a recommendation from the Department of Health and Human Services, which argues that the drug has medicinal value and has a lower potential for abuse than other Schedule I substances.

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