The Arkansas Supreme Court has ordered the Secretary of State to resume validating signatures for a proposed amendment that would expand medical marijuana access.
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This ruling follows a lawsuit filed by Arkansans for Patient Access after about 18,000 signatures were disqualified due to a paperwork issue involving paid canvassers.
Secretary of State John Thurston initially rejected the signatures because the paperwork was signed by representatives from a third-party company, not the amendment's sponsor, as required by state law.
The Supreme Court’s decision mandates continued counting of signatures to meet the 90,704 needed for the amendment to appear on the November ballot.
If approved, the amendment would broaden eligibility for the state’s medical marijuana program by expanding qualifying conditions and allowing more providers to prescribe the drug.
The legal issues surrounding paid canvassers, which have also affected proposed amendments on abortion and casinos, remain at the core of the case.
The next steps include a compliance notice by noon Friday, followed by briefs from both sides due Friday and responses due by October 7
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