MJBiz - September/October 2024 - 49

conservative states, such as Kansas,
to follow suit.
Arkansas legalization advocates
also are trying to get a referendum
passed that would significantly
expand the state's existing medical
marijuana market.
The South Dakota and North
Dakota referendums already have
qualified for the November ballot.
Meanwhile, legalization advocates
in Arkansas and Nebraska have
submitted petition signatures
to their respective secretaries of
state-though those signatures
must be certified before making it
onto the ballot.
John Mueller, the CEO of
Greenlight Dispensary, a Missouriheadquartered
multistate operator
active mainly in Midwestern
markets, said he was hopeful South
Dakota would adopt recreational
cannabis and very optimistic about
passage of the medical referendums.
" Anytime you have a medical
initiative on the ballot, you always
have a very good chance of (it)
passing, " Mueller said.
Here are snapshots of the four
key marijuana referendum efforts
this year:
Get the latest news
about this ballot
initiative here.
Arkansas Medical
Marijuana Expansion
Initiative
This measure, backed by the group
Arkansans for Patient Access,
would expand the state's medical
marijuana program. It also would:
* Allow physician assistants,
nurse practitioners, nurses and
pharmacists to certify medical
marijuana patients.
* Expand the list of qualifying
conditions for medical
marijuana.
Winning Marijuana Referendum Margins
Ballot measures have proved to be a successful vehicle for legalizing
recreational marijuana. Of the 24 states that have legalized adult-use
cannabis, more than 15 have done so through ballot initiatives. Voters will
weigh in on marijuana legalization this November in Florida, where more
than 60% of votes are required to win. Four states have surpassed the 60%
threshold in past years; find their margins for victory below.
State
Year Measure
Washington, D.C. 2014 Initiative 71
Maryland
New Jersey
Arizona
Montana
Ohio
California
Montana
Michigan
Washington
Colorado
Nevada
2020
2023
2020
CI-118
Issue 2
2016 Proposition 64
I-190
2018 Proposal 1
2012 Initiative 502
2012 Initiative 64
2016 Question 2
Massachusetts 2016 Question 4
Alaska
Missouri
Maine
Source: Ballotpedia
2014 Ballot Measure 2
2022 Amendment 3
2016 Question 1
2022 Question 4
2020 Public Question 1
2020 Proposition 207
Yes
50.3%
53.1%
53.2%
53.7%
54.5%
55.3%
55.7%
55.9%
56.9%
57.1%
57.2%
57.8%
60%
67.1%
67.2%
70.1%
50%
49.7%
46.9%
46.8%
46.3%
45.5%
45.7%
44.3%
44.1%
43.1%
42.9%
42.8%
42.2%
40%
32.9%
32.8%
29.9%
No
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* Allow telemedicine for MMJ
patient evaluations.
* Remove some restrictions on
marijuana advertising.
* Allow operators to accept outof-state
medical marijuana
cards.
* Allow MMJ patients to grow
their own cannabis.
" The existing operators would
benefit because it'd be easier for
patients to get a card, " Mueller said.
Arkansas voters passed their first
medical marijuana legalization
measure, Issue 6, in 2016.
This time around, " polling is
closer than it should be, " said
Mueller, something he attributed to
the failed effort to pass recreational
marijuana in 2020.
" I think there is a little hangover
from the last initiative and people
not understanding yet, " Mueller
said.
Still, he believes education will
boost support.
" We're optimistic they'll expand
that program down there, but it
will still be a medical state, Mueller
said. " I would not be optimistic at all
about an adult-use initiative. "
Arkansans for Patient Access
reported submitting 111,402
signatures to the state on July 5;
it needed 90,704 signatures to be
certified for the measure to appear
on the November ballot. The
Secretary of State certified 77,000
signatures and offered the group
an extension until Aug. 31
to gather 13,704 signatures to
get the measure on the ballot.
mjbizdaily.com | September-October 2024 49
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