State Board of Election Commissioners

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Arkansas Supreme Court puts marijuana amendment back on the November ballot

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by Talk Business & Politics staff (staff2@talkbusiness.net)

Recreational marijuana use will be on Arkansas’ November election ballot. The Arkansas Supreme Court on Thursday (Sept. 22) overturned a State Board of Election Commissioners (SBEC) decision to deny certification of the constitutional amendment legalizing marijuana use for adults.

The SBEC on Aug. 3 denied certification of a proposed constitutional amendment – Issue 4 – to legalize recreational marijuana for adults over the age of 21. The panel cited concerns regarding sufficient background checks for dispensary owners and limits on THC, tetrahydrocannabinol, a chemical found in marijuana. The SBEC review is part of a new process for ballot petitions.

In a 5-2 opinion, the Arkansas Supreme Court rejected the panel’s concerns about ballot sufficiency. Justices Shawn Womack and Barbara Webb dissented. (Link here for a PDF of the opinion.)

https://talkbusiness.net/2022/09/arkansas-supreme-court-puts-marijuana-amendment-back-on-the-november-ballot/

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State Board of Election Commissioners denies certification of recreational marijuana ballot measure

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by Roby Brock (roby@talkbusiness.net)

The State Board of Election Commissioners on Wednesday (Aug. 3) denied certification of a proposed constitutional amendment to legalize recreational marijuana for adults over the age of 21.

The SBEC review is part of a new process for ballot petitions. The panel cited concerns regarding sufficient background checks for dispensary owners and limits on THC, tetrahydrocannabinol,  a chemical found in marijuana.

Responsible Growth Arkansas, the group supporting the ballot measure, turned in more than 193,000 signatures for adult recreational marijuana use, more than twice what was needed to qualify. Secretary of State John Thurston signed off last week on the measure as having sufficiently met the signature threshold to qualify for the November ballot.

https://talkbusiness.net/2022/08/state-board-of-election-commissioners-denies-certification-of-recreational-marijuana-ballot-measure/