In mid-December, local attorney Jon Wesley Hall Jr. submitted to attorney general Dustin McDaniel a proposed constitutional amendment that would legalize medical marijuana in the state.Certification of the proposed name and title by McDaniel would have allowed petitioners to gather the 77,468 signatures to put the measure on the November 2010 ballot.
- A growing business
However, on Jan. 4, McDaniel rejected the proposal and called the popular name submission “misleading or partisan” according to a report by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. McDaniel argued that the proposal does not define medical marijuana in a way that would be understandable to voters. He was quoted in the Democrat-Gazette report as saying, “In my opinion, this term does not have a ‘general currency among the public’ such that it can be assumed most voters will readily understand what it entails.’
Attorney Hall contends that the definition of “medical marijuana” is a detail that will have to be worked out by the state legislature and accused McDaniel of “nitpicking” his proposal.
Outside of Arkansas, 13 states have legalized the use of medical marijuana even though the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the federal government has the right to enforce federal drug laws in a state’s that have legalized the drug for medicinal purposes. However, the U.S. attorney general recently stated that the feds would not interfere with state’s that allow the use of medical marijuana.
Having said all that and knowing that the issue of medical marijuana has been complicated in states like California, how do you feel about legalizing the drug in Arkansas? What if it becomes a cash crop? Do you think the state stands to profit from spending less on locking up people for pot possession and taxing the sales of the drug? Vote in the poll and leave your thoughts in the comments.
Loading ...
This is a issue more about personal liberty that your opinion on the the value of “medical marijuana.” First of all, lets lose this whole “medical” nomenclature; like it somehow makes it palatable to the naysayers. I don’t even smoke pot (that often), but prohibition is morally wrong and completely ineffective. So it’s not “complicated.” And why do people feel compelled to quantify de-criminalizing a natural activity with “the state could benefit monetarily.” as a free human being, you should be able to make your own choices with no regard for “the state.” How about a polling choice that simply says: Yes.
I believe that medical marijuana is a wonderful thing. For yrs. I suffered from severe hip pain and my body won’t handle morphine,I used the medical marijuana and my pain was eased immensly. I have since had bilateral hip replacements and no longer need pain medication. I thank God that I had it to help me.
I think that there is no way in which marijuana should be legalized. Legalizing any drug or anything does not make it right. Remember that the reason why Moses gave the bill of divorcement was because of the hardness of the peoples hearts. Wonder what God is saying about this society today? Or do we want to Know?
Mr. West,
It is not the governments job to tell you what is right or wrong, that is for you to determine. The government should be there to enforce contracts and protect your personal liberty and safety.
I enjoy what you are suggesting with this but I dont totally agree with you 100% on this topic. Id be more likely to take the conservative approach myselfBest Registry Cleaners
ok first of all,god bless you KB! and to you DB,you are 1000% right! What this all boils down to is,the educated vs the ignorant. nothing against christians,(my mother is a christian,who btw supports legalization) but they for the most part are good people,they are jsut ignorant. they are like a generation of Archie Bunkers.that watch nothing but fox news.they dont like change to them weed is still “dope”.they dont know what dope is! they seem to think that they have the “god given right”to control ther fellow man.and that is just bull shit!