Arkansas could become a pioneering medical cannabis state in the South if a potential ballot initiative to legalize MMJ qualifies for the 2016 general election.
At this point, support for such a measure appears high: A poll released last week found that 84% of registered voters in the state support the idea of allowing adults to use marijuana for medical reasons if a doctor prescribes it.
The poll represents a relatively small slice of the population, as it includes the responses of just 400 registered voters evenly split between Republicans, Democrats and independents. The margin of error is roughly 5%.
The new proposed initiative would allow for 38 nonprofit dispensaries across the state, and the campaign needs to gather at least 65,000 signatures in support of the measure to reach the ballot.
Add Florida to the mix, where a second attempt is also likely to be made at legalizing medical cannabis, and the South could slowly begin to join the MMJ bandwagon.
There are also possible business opportunities down the road in Louisiana, where lawmakers approved an MMJ bill earlier this year – albeit with unworkable restrictions.
