Group Asks to Intervene Against Marijuana in State Supreme Court

On Wednesday the group Save Arkansas From Epidemic (SAFE) filed documents opposing marijuana legalization before the Arkansas Supreme Court.

SAFE’s motion is part of the ongoing lawsuit over a proposed constitutional amendment that would legalize so-called “recreational” marijuana in Arkansas.

Responsible Growth Arkansas has been working for months to place an amendment legalizing marijuana on the ballot.

In August the group filed a lawsuit against state officials after the Arkansas Board of Election Commissioners unanimously voted not to certify the group’s proposed marijuana amendment for the November ballot.

The Arkansas Attorney General’s office has asked the Arkansas Supreme Court to dismiss the lawsuit altogether. Dismissing the case would mean the marijuana amendment would not appear on the ballot.

Now Save Arkansas From Epidemic has asked the state supreme court to let them intervene in the lawsuit and oppose the marijuana amendment as well.

On Tuesday Save Arkansas From Epidemic filed affidavits from Dr. Kevin A. Sabet, Ph. D., and veteran law enforcement official David Burnett in court.

Dr. Sabet’s affidavit focuses on how THC levels in marijuana have skyrocketed over the years. He points out that the proposed marijuana amendment removes THC limits in Amendment 98 to the Arkansas Constitution and would prevent the State of Arkansas from limiting THC levels in marijuana in the future.

Mr. Burnett’s affidavit argues that marijuana legalization would force the State of Arkansas to spend at least $500,000 on new drug interdiction training for law enforcement.

As we have said before, the proposed amendment makes sweeping changes to Arkansas’ laws regarding marijuana.

It repeals, replaces, and rewrites several parts of Arkansas’ medical marijuana amendment that voters passed in 2016, it adds new language to other parts of the Arkansas Constitution, and it drastically expands marijuana in every community in Arkansas.

It is unclear just how far-reaching some of these changes may be.