Pubdate: Fri, 04 Oct 2013
Source: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (Little Rock, AR)
Copyright: 2013 Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc.
Contact: http://www2.arkansasonline.com/contact/voicesform/
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Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/25
Note: Accepts letters to the editor from Arkansas residents only
Author: Michael R. Wickline
Page: 3B

MCDANIEL OKS 'POT' BALLOT TITLE

Attorney General Dustin McDaniel on Thursday cleared the way for
medical-marijuana supporters to start collecting signatures to qualify
Arkansans for Compassionate Care's proposed initiated act for the 2014
general election ballot.

McDaniel certified a popular name and ballot title for the proposed
ballot measure for Arkansans for Compassionate Care, whose campaign
director is Melissa Fults of Hensley. The measure will be called The
Arkansas Medical Cannabis Act.

Fults said Arkansans for Compassionate Care will begin collecting
signatures Oct. 11 at the Arkansas State Fair.

The group has until July 2014 to collect 62,507 signatures from
Arkansas registered voters, the minimum number needed to qualify for
the ballot.

Two months ago, McDaniel certified a proposed popular name and ballot
title for a similar proposed initiated act for Arkansans for
Responsible Medicine, led by David Couch of Little Rock and Chris Kell
of Greenbrier. The measure will be called The Arkansas Medical
Marijuana Act.

Last November, Arkansans voters narrowly rejected a similar ballot
measure, Issue 5, which sought to legalize the medical use of marijuana.

Fults said she believes that medical-marijuana supporters will sign
enough petitions to qualify both measures for the ballot instead of
splintering - a move that could doom both signature drives.

"It's not an ideal situation, but I don't think it makes it
impossible," she said.

If both measures qualify for the ballot, Couch said there might be
some voter confusion.

Couch said Arkansans for Responsible Medicine's proposed ballot
measure doesn't allow people to grow marijuana in their own home,
while Arkansans for Compassionate Care's proposal does allow for that.

Fults said Arkansans for Compassionate Care's proposal includes a
hardship clause to allow patients in remote areas to have limited
cultivation of marijuana under restricted circumstances.

Jerry Cox, president of the Family Council, said the group would
oppose both proposals to legalize the medical use of marijuana.

He said he doesn't know whether having competing measures helps or
hurts his group's attempt to stop them from qualifying for the ballot.

"We are really in uncharted territory right now," Cox said.