Medical cannabis advocates in Arkansas filed a lawsuit challenging the secretary of state’s decision not to certify a ballot initiative that would expand the MMJ program.
The suit, filed Tuesday, was spurred by Secretary of State John Thurston’s ruling the previous day that Arkansans for Patient Access’ campaign was roughly 2,600 valid signatures short of what’s needed to qualify the initiative for the November ballot, according to the Associated Press.
Thurston said the campaign turned in only 88,040 valid signatures, short of the required 90,704.
In July, Arkansans for Patient Access submitted more than 114,000 signatures.
According to the Arkansas Advocate, the 16-page complaint alleges that the secretary of state refused to count thousands of valid signatures that would have qualified the initiative for the ballot.
The lawsuit asks the Arkansas Supreme Court to order the secretary of state’s office to certify the MMJ initiative for the ballot.
According to the Associated Press, the suit is challenging the “decision to not count some of the signatures because the state asserted (Arkansans for Patient Access) had not followed paperwork rules regarding paid signature gatherers.”
Petitioners also filed a motion to expedite the case, appoint a special master and grant a preliminary injunction, according to the Arkansas Advocate.
The ballot initiative seeks to expand a medical marijuana measure Arkansas voters approved in 2016.
