Arkansas Supreme Court Orders Signature Verification

The Arkansas Supreme Court has mandated Secretary of State John Thurston to continue counting approximately 18,000 signatures for a proposed amendment aimed at expanding medical marijuana access, reversing his previous decision to disqualify them due to paperwork issues. Despite Thurston's assessment that only 88,040 out of 150,000 submitted signatures were valid, the court's order allows the potential for the amendment to meet the required threshold of 90,704 signatures by the upcoming November ballot. The amendment, backed by Arkansans for Patient Access, seeks to broaden the eligibility for medical marijuana, allowing home cultivation and a wider range of qualifying medical conditions. The legal dispute highlights ongoing tensions regarding the use of paid canvassers, which Thurston argues violates state law. With the court's ruling, the outcome of the amendment now hinges on the validity of the additional signatures, while the state's Governor must appoint justices to fill recused positions in the case. If successful, the amendment could significantly alter the landscape of medical marijuana in Arkansas, even paving the way for recreational use if federally legalized.