Group Spends More Than Half a Million Dollars on Pro-Marijuana Campaign in May: New Report

On Tuesday the group backing marijuana in Arkansas filed reports with the state Ethics Commission showing it spent $517,381 on its campaign during the month of May.

Arkansans for Patient Access has until July 5 to collect 90,704 valid signatures from registered voters to place its marijuana amendment on the ballot. If passed, the measure would drastically expand “medical” marijuana in Arkansas, making it easier for people to use marijuana recreationally.

All told, the group has raised and spent more than $1.1 million on its campaign. Arkansans for Patient Access currently has more than 400 paid canvassers hired to collect signatures for the ballot measure. The group’s funding primarily has come from businesses that grow or sell marijuana, and most of the money the campaign spent in May went toward its petition drive.

Among other things, the marijuana amendment fails to limit the amount of THC that marijuana and marijuana products can contain.

Marijuana users would no longer need to show they suffer from a specific medical condition listed in state law — making it easier for people to use marijuana recreationally.

The amendment lets people grow and use marijuana at home, and it would openly legalize marijuana in Arkansas if federal laws against marijuana are repealed.

The measure also repeals significant restrictions on marijuana advertising in Arkansas.

All of this would lead to more marijuana in Arkansas.

Arkansas voters rejected marijuana legalization at the ballot box in 2022. That amendment was opposed by a broad coalition of churches, business groups, elected officials, and citizens who knew that marijuana would be bad for Arkansas. We anticipate similar opposition to the 2024 marijuana amendment.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.

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