Petitioners for Responsible Growth Arkansas gathered nearly 200,000 signatures in support of a proposed constitutional amendment legalizing recreational marijuana.
The committee, which is advocating for a constitutional amendment legalizing recreational marijuana, said they turned in 192,828 signatures on Friday, which is more than twice the number that is required in their bid to qualify their measure for the Nov. 3 general election ballot.
For a proposed constitutional amendment to be placed on the November ballot, a group must gather at least 89,151 valid signatures of registered voters, or 10% of the votes cast for governor in the 2018 general election. The primary election provided a prime opportunity for signature gathering ahead of the July 8 deadline.
Steve Lancaster, counsel for Responsible Growth Arkansas, said this is the farthest a recreational marijuana attempt has gotten within the state.
“We believe this is something that Arkansans want,” he said. “I am completely confident this will pass if put on the ballot.”
The amendment would issue adult-use cannabis cultivation and dispensary licenses to businesses that already hold licenses under the state's medical marijuana program, followed by an additional 40 licenses chosen by a lottery.
Most of the financial backing for Responsible Growth Arkansas comes from licensed cultivators. The group has raised $1.82 million and spent about $629,000 toward the effort, according to a report the group filed in April with the Arkansas Ethics Commission.
A second effort to get recreational marijuana on the ballot will likely be pushed back to 2024.
The Arkansas Recreational Marijuana Amendment of 2022, a volunteer-driven effort backed by Arkansas True Grass, would not cap the number of cannabis businesses in the state and would automatically release people who are incarcerated solely because of a marijuana-related charge.
Arkansas True Grass had raised about $15,400 and spent more than $12,000 toward the effort, according to a report filed with the Ethics Commission in April.