Arkansas Governor to vote against legalization of recreational marijuana

Little Rock, Arkansas – Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson voiced his opposition online to the legalization of recreational marijuana in Arkansas. He shared that he will be voting no against the issue, noting “the science” behind the usage.

“The science is clear. Recreational marijuana leads to increased drug use among minors & more dangerous roadways. This November, I’m voting NO on Issue 4 to legalize recreational marijuana in Arkansas,” Gov. Hutchinson said online.

This comes after the Arkansas Supreme Court ordered recreational marijuana to conditionally be on the upcoming ballot.

According to the Arkansas Supreme Court, the measure to legalize recreational marijuana will be on the November ballot, but it is still unclear as to whether the votes will count.

After receiving the necessary amount of signatures, the measure was denied certification by the state Board of Election Commissioners on Aug. 3. Officials pointed to the measure not having “sufficient background checks for dispensary owners or THC limits,” as the reason behind its denial.

It’s been back and forth for the recreational marijuana measure after more than 192,000 signatures were submitted in early July by Responsible Growth Arkansas. This number of signatures was more than double of the 89,151 signatures that were needed.

The group then filed a lawsuit after the measure’s denial, saying that the state Board of Election Commissioners made an “incorrect denial” as it prevents “hundreds of thousands of Arkansans to have the opportunity to vote on the Amendment.”