Arkansas poll shows strong medical marijuana support

A new poll shows strong support for medical marijuana legalization in Arkansas, where voters may have to decide between two competing ballot measures to legalize MMJ come the November election.

Of 751 likely Arkansas voters who were polled June 21, 58% said they would vote for allowing residents to buy medical marijuana from a not-for-profit dispensary, according to the Talk Business & Politics-Hendrix College Poll. Another 34% of survey respondents said they opposed medical marijuana legalization, and 8% didn’t know, KATV.com reported.

Support for MMJ legalization was especially strong among certain groups, the broadcaster reported: Democrats at 74%; African-Americans and those aged 30 to 44 both at 73%.

Arkansas has two active medical marijuana legalization efforts: one that is awaiting a ruling on whether it collected enough petition signatures to get its measure on the November ballot, and another that is still collecting signatures.

If both make the ballot and voters approve them, the one with the most yes votes would supersede the other. But medical marijuana advocates are concerned that the two measures might divide legalization support so they both fail.