Arkansas voters to decide whether to legalize marijuana

For the first time in Arkansas history, a constitutional amendment to legalize recreational marijuana in Arkansas will appear on the ballot in November.

Voters have the chance to make Arkansas the 20th state in the country and second in the South (after Virginia) to legalize marijuana for adults.

What will the amendment do? 

Known as the Arkansas Adult Use Cannabis Amendment, the measure would amend the state constitution to legalize recreational marijuana use for adults 21 and older. The measure would also increase the number of dispensaries and cultivators from the current limits imposed by the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Amendment passed by voters in 2016.

Arkansas voters legalized medical marijuana that year by a vote of 53.11% to 46.89% and with a winning margin in 38 of the state’s 75 counties.

That amendment allowed for a maximum of 40 dispensaries and eight cultivators and allowed patients to obtain a medical marijuana card if they had one or more of 17 qualifying conditions.

The state Medical Marijuana Commission has issued all eight cultivation licenses and 38 of the 40 dispensary licenses. The commission is prohibited by a court order from issuing the remaining two dispensary licenses.

This year’s recreational marijuana amendment would increase the maximum number of cultivation facilities to 20 and increase the maximum number of dispensaries to 120.

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