In February, the Arkansas General Assembly approved SB59, which could pay for students' breakfasts with taxes generated from medical cannabis. HB1408 would allow patients to use Health Savings Accounts or Flexible Spending Accounts for medical cannabis.

However, no lawmaker has submitted language to decriminalize cannabis, a reform that is desperately needed. Arkansas remains one of only 19 states that still incarcerates individuals for possessing small amounts of cannabis. Arkansas currently has some of the harshest cannabis laws in the nation. Possessing less than four ounces of cannabis is a misdemeanor carrying up to one year in jail and a fine of up to $2,500.

If you live in Arkansas, ask your legislator to stop jailing cannabis consumers!

Partial data reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting Program shows that 84% of law enforcement agencies reporting made 4,976 arrests for cannabis possession in Arkansas in 2023. Law enforcement resources could be put to far better use. It is time your legislators heard from you that custodial arrests for small amounts of cannabis is not what the citizens want!

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The Arkansas Medical Cannabis Amendment of 2024 language, submitted by Arkansans for Medical Access, was rejected by Attorney General Tim Griffin (R) on January 29. The campaign will be able to resubmit the amendment with changes to satisfy the Attorney General. If approved at that point, the campaign could then begin to gather the 90,709 valid voter signatures by July 5 to be placed on the November ballot. A simple majority would be needed for passage of the state constitutional amendment.  

If the amendment passed, it would:

• Allow patients/caregivers over 21 to grow seven mature cannabis plants (14” or greater)
• Allow patients/caregivers over 21 to grow seven immature plants (14” or smaller)
• Expand practitioners who can recommend medical cannabis to include pharmacists, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants
• Allow medical cannabis for any medical need
• Allow telemedicine for healthcare providers recommending cannabis
• Expand reciprocity for out-of-state patients, including issuing cards for non-residents
• Make recommendations valid for three years moving forward

The amendment also has language that contains a trigger law. When the federal government ends federal prohibition, adults 21+ could legally possess and use cannabis, and medical dispensaries would be able to immediately begin adult-use sales. The entire amendment can be found here.

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Let your state legislators know it’s past time they pass the S.C. Compassionate Care Act.

A new poll by Starboard Communications found 72% of South Carolina voters support allowing medical cannabis and only 15% are opposed! But because South Carolina doesn’t have a citizens’ initiative process, the only way to translate that overwhelming support into law is for the state legislature to act.

Please send your state senator and representative an email to let them know you want them to do all they can to get the S.C. Compassionate Care Act passed this year.

Then, to go the extra mile, please follow up with a call to your state senator. We provide talking points and your senator’s phone number to make it easy.

Thirty-six states have compassionate medical cannabis laws, including Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Florida. It’s past time South Carolinians have the same medical freedom.

Please write and call your legislators today, then spread the word by sharing this link on social media. Together, we can bring relief to suffering South Carolinians.

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Urge your state legislators to stand up for patients!

Last year, the Alabama Senate overwhelmingly approved the Compassion Act — which would have legalized medical cannabis — but it stalled in the House when the coronavirus derailed the legislative session.

This year, Sen. Tim Melson, MD, has already filed the 2021 version of the bill, SB 46. State lawmakers return to work on Tuesday. Let’s make sure they come back knowing their constituents want the Compassion Act to be at the top of their agenda!

It takes less than a minute to send your lawmakers an email through our automated system. You can personalize the message or rewrite it.

Alabama’s lack of medical marijuana protections is increasingly an outlier. Thirty-six states, including Florida, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Mississippi, allow medical cannabis, and polling shows 75% of Alabama voters support it.

While SB 46 is far better than the status quo, we are also encouraging lawmakers to make some improvements. The bill currently steers intractable pain patients to try opiates first, even though they are far more dangerous than cannabis. It also puts onerous burdens on physicians that will depress participation.

Please write your lawmakers today to urge them to improve and enact SB 46, and then spread the word to other compassionate Alabamians.

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Ask your state legislators to cosponsor the South Carolina Compassionate Care Act.

On Wednesday, Sen. Tom Davis (R) and Rep. Bill Herbkersman (R) pre-filed bills that would allow seriously ill patients to use and safely access medical cannabis in South Carolina.

As Rep. Bill Herbkersman explained, “It is unacceptable that South Carolinians with serious illnesses have to break the law to alleviate their suffering. My brother [who died of cancer] deserved better. Our friends, family, and neighbors deserve the same options to medicine that are afforded to Americans in 36 other states. Waiting any longer will only add to the suffering that is experienced by those who are plagued with debilitating illnesses.”

Now is the time to let your legislators know their constituents are counting on them to do everything possible to ensure the Compassionate Care Act becomes law in 2021. Send them a message today.

If you or a loved one has a special connection to the issue — such as if you could benefit from medical cannabis or you are a medical professional — consider following up with a call to share your experience.

You can also check out a summary of the House version of the bill here, and the Senate bill here. 

It’s past time South Carolinians have the medical freedom that patients have in Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana, Florida, and 32 other states. Raise your voice today to let your state legislators know that their constituents are counting on them. Then, spread the word to other compassionate South Carolinians.

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Urge your state legislators to stand up for patients!

On February 20, Alabama’s Senate Judiciary Committee advanced a medical cannabis bill — SB 165 — in an 8-1 vote. It could get a Senate floor vote as soon as this week!

Please write your state senator and state representative right now to let them know you want them to stand up for Alabama’s patients.

Alabama’s lack of medical marijuana protections is increasingly an outlier. Thirty-three states, including Florida, Louisiana, and Arkansas, allow medical cannabis, and Mississippi voters will get to decide the issue directly in November. Polling shows 75% of Alabama voters support medical cannabis.

But because Alabama doesn’t have a citizen initiative process, the only way to bring a compassionate law to the state is for state lawmakers to pass a bill.

While the Senate advanced a compassionate medical cannabis bill in 2019, the House has never voted on the issue. Let’s build a drumbeat of momentum to make 2020 the year that Alabama patients finally get relief.

Write your lawmakers today, and then spread the word to other compassionate Alabamians. To learn more about the bill, check out our summary.

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Next year, Arkansas could make history and become the first southern state to end marijuana prohibition and wipe the slate clean for people with criminal records for marijuana convictions. 

The Marijuana Policy Project has endorsed two constitutional ballot initiatives being spearheaded by Arkansans for Cannabis Reform. The first would establish a system to legalize and regulate marijuana for adults 21 and older. The second would create a pathway for individuals to remove previous marijuana offenses from their criminal records, making it easier for them to get jobs and access social benefits. 

Each petition requires just over 89,000 voter signatures, and the campaign has established signing locations all over the state. Now is a critical time, and they are looking for supporters to get involved and expand their effort.

A victory in Arkansas would send a shockwave through the country. A clear majority of voters stand with us in our mission to end marijuana prohibition. But it takes hard-working teams like Arkansans for Cannabis Reform to give voters an opportunity to enact the change they want. 

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Little Rock City Board Member Ken Richardson is proposing to make marijuana arrests the lowest possible police priority. This measure — which would effectively reduce marijuana possession to a citation — will save court and law enforcement resources while not needlessly punishing adults with jail time.

While attitudes on marijuana policy are changing all over the country, we can't rest now. In fact, Little Rock voted down a similar ordinance last year!

To find your Ward Director, please click here. Be sure to reach out to them before the meeting and let them know you support this proposed ordinance. (If Richardson is your board member, you can thank him for his leadership.)

Here are a couple of points you can make in support:

* Please support Board Member Richardson's proposal to cite, not jail, people for marijuana possession. Incarceration is a traumatic, disproportionate penalty for possessing marijuana.

* This measure would allow law enforcement to spend more time on crimes with victims, instead of wasting their time booking individuals for using a substance most Americans think should be legal.

You can also show up in person to demonstrate your support for this important measure:

What: Little Rock Board of Directors meeting

When: Tuesday, August 20 at 6:00 p.m.

Where: Little Rock City Hall, 500 West Markham Street, Board of Directors' Chambers, 2nd floor

The city will vote on this next week and needs to hear from constituents beforehand. Reach out to your city board member today. If you or anyone you know is a resident of Little Rock, please let them know about the meeting and forward this email to them.

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Although medical marijuana is not yet available for Arkansas patients, patient ID cards went into effect on February 15, 2019. The Arkansas Medical Marijuana Commission began mailing out ID cards to qualifying patients, and over 7,000 patient ID cards have been approved.

Patients who have a qualifying medical condition and a physician's written certification can apply online.

Recently, the Medical Marijuana Commission awarded licenses to 32 retail medical marijuana dispensaries and five medical marijuana cultivators. Cultivators are expected to have product available for dispensaries by April. Hopefully, Arkansas patients will not have to wait much longer for relief approved by voters over two years ago.

Despite the progress achieved so far for patients, Arkansas still has some of harshest marijuana laws in the country. Possessing marijuana should not be punishable by jail time, and other states – including Mississippi, North Carolina, and Missouri – have decriminalized marijuana. Ask your legislators to impose a civil fine on marijuana possession. Together, we can bring marijuana policy reform to Arkansas.

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In March, an unsuccessful applicant sued the state, claiming that the Medical Marijuana Commission’s scoring process was flawed and that two of the commission’s members had conflicts of interest. The judge sided with the unsuccessful applicant, and the state’s rollout of the medical marijuana program was put on pause.

Yesterday, the Arkansas Supreme Court heard oral arguments in a dispute over Arkansas’ medical marijuana program. The program has been stalled since lawsuits were filed over how licenses were awarded. We learned that one commissioner was even offered a bribe from a company seeking a cultivation license.

No matter who wins this case, it’s Arkansas patients who are losing out. We hope that these legal matters will be concluded in a timely matter so that patients may have access to the medicine they need.

In other disappointing news, the Little Rock Board of Directors voted down a proposal last Tuesday to make marijuana possession the lowest enforcement priority for law enforcement.

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