A group of anonymous donors, along with the Marijuana Policy Project, were ready to throw a cumulative $1 million behind a campaign to legalize medical cannabis in Arkansas, but decided to devote the money to campaigns elsewhere after a second MMJ initiative qualified for the state ballot.
That’s according to MPP founder and executive director Rob Kampia, who said he tried to get the leaders of the second campaign – Arkansans United for Medical Marijuana – to pull their initiative for the sake of only having one legalization measure on the fall ballot.
Kampia declined to identify the other donors who contributed to the $1 million pool, and said the money will now be disbursed among other pro-cannabis campaigns around the country. MPP’s portion, he said, will be split up between one or more of the campaigns it’s supporting in Arizona, Maine and Massachusetts.
“This was a net loss for Arkansas,” Kampia said.
According to one media report, Arkansans for Compassionate Care, which was the first campaign to make the ballot, had raised $141,252 by the end of June. Arkansans United for Medical Marijuana had raised $444,982 in the same time frame.