A majority of likely voters in Arkansas are opposed to a proposed constitutional amendment that would legalize recreational marijuana, according to the Arkansas Poll's statewide results released Thursday.
Foes of the proposed constitutional amendment said the Arkansas Poll showed that support for the ballot proposal has dwindled to a new low, while supporters of the proposed amendment said another poll showed different results.
The Arkansas Poll also showed likely voters are about evenly divided over a proposed constitutional amendment that would allow the Legislature to call itself into special session and a proposed constitutional amendment that would require 60% of voters instead of a majority of voters for approval of proposed constitutional amendments and proposed initiated acts.
The Arkansas Poll is sponsored by the Diane D. Blair Center of Southern Politics and Society at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. The poll, conducted between Oct. 13-31, involved telephone interviews of 577 likely voters with a margin of error of plus- or minus-4.1%.
The Arkansas Poll showed Republican U.S. Sen. John Boozman leading Democratic candidate Natalie James by a margin of 33%, and Republican gubernatorial candidate Sarah Huckabee Sanders leading Democratic candidate Chris Jones by a margin of 21%.
The Responsible Growth Arkansas committee's proposed constitutional amendment that would legalize recreational marijuana is Issue 4 on the ballot. The Arkansas Poll showed 41% of likely voters in Arkansas favor Issue 4, and 59% oppose it.
Respondents offering "don't know" or who refused to answer were removed from the analysis on Issue 4 and made up 5% of the respondents on Issue 4, according to the poll.
Issue 4 would allow the sale of cannabis to people 21 or older, prohibit advertising and packaging designed to appeal to children, provide regulatory oversight by limiting the number of licensed businesses, and not allow homegrown cannabis. It would limit the number of cannabis licenses to 20 cultivators and 120 dispensaries statewide, which includes existing medical marijuana licenses. Lotteries would be held for 40 dispensary licenses and 12 cultivator licenses.
Jerry Cox, executive director of the Family Council Arkansas Action Committee that opposes Issue 4, said Thursday the Arkansas Poll shows the vast majority of Arkansans don't support Issue 4.
"Arkansans understand that Issue 4 is a crony political measure that writes the marijuana industry into our state constitution," he said in a news release. "Law enforcement does not support this measure.
"The Arkansas Fraternal Order of Police issued a statement ... saying they oppose Issue 4," Cox said. "The Little Rock Police Department has said it does not support the measure."
Asked if the Little Rock Police Department does not support the measure, Maj. Casey Clark of the Little Rock Police Department said in a written statement that "The Little Rock Police Department does not make comment on ballot issues or politics in general, as a matter of our internal policy."
Cox said dozens of leaders and organizations oppose Issue 4, including Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson, former Republican Gov. Mike Huckabee, Republican Lt. Gov. Tim Griffin, 64 Republican state representatives, the Senate Republican Caucus and a majority of the Arkansas Democratic Black Caucus.
Robert McLarty, campaign director for the Responsible Growth committee supporting Issue 4, said Thursday there have been several surveys regarding Issue 4 over the past several months.
Talk Business & Politics recently "released a survey taken during the same period, showing the opposite results," he said in a news release.
A Talk Business & Politics-Hendrix College poll of 974 likely voters on Oct. 17-18 showed 50% of the respondents favored Issue 4 and 43% were opposed with 6.5% undecided. The poll has a margin of error of plus- or minus-3.9%.
That poll came after a previous Talk Business & Politics-Hendrix College poll of 835 likely voters on Sept. 12 showed support at 58.5% for Issue 4 and 29% opposing it with 12.5% undecided. The poll has a margin of error of plus- or minus-3.8%.
Therefore, McLarty said, "the only result that will matter is the result that Arkansas voters will decide on Election Day.
"Today's news is an excellent reminder to those who want to legalize cannabis to get out and vote for Issue 4," McLarty said.
For those who have not voted and want to legalize cannabis safely, fund the police, fund cancer research, create jobs and create millions of dollars in revenue for the state, "now is the time to vote for Issue 4," he said.
The Arkansas Poll showed 51% of likely voters support a proposed constitutional amendment that would allow the Legislature to call itself into special session, and 49% are opposed.
Respondents offering "don't know" or who refused to answer were removed from the analysis on this ballot proposal and made up 15% of the respondents on this ballot proposal, according to the Arkansas Poll.
This proposed constitutional amendment is Issue 1 on the general election ballot.
Issue 1 would permit the General Assembly to convene in an extraordinary session by a joint written proclamation of the speaker of House and the Senate president pro tempore, or by the submission of the signatures of two-thirds of the members of the 35-member Senate and 100-member House of Representatives.
Lawmakers would be required to state the reason for the special session, and once that purpose is accomplished the session could be extended by up to 15 days by a two-thirds majority of both chambers under Issue 1. Under current law, only the governor can call a special session and the governor sets the agenda for the session.
Issue 2 on the general election ballot is the proposed constitutional amendment that would require 60% of voters rather than a majority of voters for approval of a proposed constitutional amendment or initiated act.
The Arkansas Poll showed 49% of likely voters support Issue 2 and 51% oppose it.
Respondents offering "don't know" or who refused to answer were removed from the analysis on this ballot proposal and made up 9% of the respondents on this ballot proposal, according to the poll.
The poll showed 63% of likely voters polled between Oct. 13-31 support Boozman, of Rogers, in his bid for his third six-year term in the U.S. Senate, 30% support James and 7% support other candidates, including Libertarian candidate Kenneth Cates.
Respondents offering "don't know" or who refused to answer were removed from this analysis and comprised 13% of the respondents regarding the U.S. Senate race, according to the poll.
James, of Little Rock, is a real estate agent and Cates, of Harrison, is a firefighter and paramedic.
The latest Talk Business & Politics survey of 974 likely voters in the U.S. Senate race on Oct. 17-18 showed 52% support Boozman, 32% support James and 3% support Cates with 13% undecided. The poll had a margin of error of plus- or minus-3.9%.
The Arkansas Poll showed 59% of likely voters support Sanders, 38% support Jones and 5% support other candidates, including Libertarian candidate Ricky Dale Harrington, Jr., in the race to succeed Hutchinson.
Respondents offering "don't know" or who refused to answer were removed from this analysis and comprised 9% of the respondents in the governor's race, according to the poll.
Sanders, of Little Rock, is a former White House press secretary for President Trump and the daughter of Mike Huckabee. Jones, of Little Rock, is a former executive director of the Arkansas Regional Innovation Hub. Harrington, of Pine Bluff, is a pastor.
The latest Talk Business & Politics-Hendrix College survey of 974 likely Arkansas voters in the governor's race on Oct. 17-18 showed Sanders leading Jones by a 51% to 41% margin with Harrington getting 3% and undecided voters at 5%. The poll had a margin of error of plus- or minus-3.9%.
CORRECTION: Fifty-nine percent of respondents to the Arkansas Poll, sponsored by the Diane D. Blair Center of Southern Politics and Society at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, indicated they oppose proposed constitutional amendment 4, which would change the constitution to legalize the possession and use of marijuana by adults, allowing for its cultivation and sale by licensed commercialized facilities. Forty-one percent of respondents indicated they favor the proposed measure. A graphic in an earlier version of this story incorrectly reported results of the poll question.