Arkansas came close to legalizing medical marijuana in 2012. Arkansas Issue 5 (medical marijuana) lost on Election Day 2012 51.44% to 48.56%. The campaign did an amazing job at spreading awareness, and getting out the vote. Unfortunately Arkansas was just too hard of a place at the time to achieve reform. But here we are nearing the end of 2015, and the political climate for medical marijuana in Arkansas has changed quite a bit. A recent poll found overwhelming support for medical marijuana reform in Arkansas. Per Marijuana Business Daily:
Arkansas could become a pioneering medical cannabis state in the South if a potential ballot initiative to legalize MMJ qualifies for the 2016 general election.
At this point, support for such a measure appears high: A poll released last week found that 84% of registered voters in the state support the idea of allowing adults to use marijuana for medical reasons if a doctor prescribes it.
The poll represents a relatively small slice of the population, as it includes the responses of just 400 registered voters evenly split between Republicans, Democrats and independents. The margin of error is roughly 5%.
While I do feel that 84% may be a little high, I still think that the level of support for medical marijuana in Arkansas is at an all-time high, and is more than enough to push an initiative over the top if it appears on the 2016 ballot. If you want to see that happen, which I think we all do whether we live in Arkansas or not, consider making a donation to the Arkansas campaign.
