LITTLE ROCK — A coalition of Christian conservative groups has scheduled a news conference this afternoon to announce stepped up opposition to a ballot proposal that would legalize marijuana for medical use in Arkansas.
The Coalition to Preserve Arkansas Values includes members of the Family Council Action Committee, which has been the most vocal opponent of the measure, along with the Arkansas Faith and Ethics Council, Families First Council and the Arkansas Family Coalition.
The secretary of state’s office last week certified the proposed Arkansas Medical Marijuana Act for the Nov. 6 general election ballot after determining that its sponsors had submitted the required 62,507 signatures of registered voters to qualify to put the measure before voters.
At the time, Family Council Executive Director Jerry Cox said the group was reviewing all of its options for fighting the proposal, including a possible court challenge. Opponents will announce their plans at a 1:30 p.m. news conference at the state Capitol.
The proposed initiated act would allow up to 30 medical marijuana dispensaries in the state but would give cities and counties the option of banning them. The marijuana would only be available to people with prescriptions for certain health conditions, including chronic pain, glaucoma, Hepatitis C and those who are terminally ill.
The proposal would allow limited cultivation of marijuana by a qualifying patient, or the patient’s designated caregiver, if the patient lives more than five miles from a dispensary.
Opponents of the measure have called the provision to allow certain people to grow their own marijuana a back-door means of legalizing the drug, which critics also notes is still illegal under federal law.
Comments (22)
Add commentChoose your place to fight!
The groups named here should be fighting this at the voting booth not trying to get a judge to stop the people from having the majority of the state decide who wins.
Define: The Coalition to
Define: The Coalition to Preserve Arkansas Values
- A group whose sole purpose is to keep Arkansas 20 years behind the rest of the nation,
- A group determined to infuse the government with standards based on one religious sect's belief system, regardless of what anyone else believes,
- Separation of church and state? What's that? (See Iran)
I Wonder
If any of these people have been around a chemo patient and seen how much it helps them with the side effects of chemo and making them healther during the process because they can eat and keep food down.
Why are these people not trying to put a stop to OxyContin Oxycodone Xanax use, these prescribed drugs are way over perscribed and abused? Not to mention dangerous to the user than marijuana.
I bet if they went to CHS today did a urine test on every student more would fail for prescription drugs than pot.
As long as
the Atty Gen agrees that the signatures are legit, let it go to the ballot box. Personally, I'm for medical marijuana but if it loses at the box, so be it. At least people will have had the opportunity to have the freedom to make a decision. As a former cancer patient I would have loved to have this option to help me through that brutal treatment.
Any attempts to block this or any other legitimate initiative is utterly and entirely Un-American and anyone that would attempt to do so ruins their own credibility as a freedom loving American.
Since I
Have NOT read the ballot proposal but I heard 1st time around that it was very limited to which aliments it could be prescribed to treat. This article includes the catch all for abuse or miss use of CHRONIC pain. I think there are other drugs better at relieving pain than pot.
I'll add one more thing I guess they feel that by making it legal for medical reasons it would validate it's use otherwise. But like I mentioned before that is not the case with lots and lots of other prescription drugs but they get abuse just the same but when people like Rush Limbaugh get hooked and lie cheat to get them they don't go to jail they go to rehab.
"I think there are other
"I think there are other drugs better at relieving pain than pot."
Of course there are but that is subjective. Every valid argument that you make, there will be one just as valid that opposes it. There there is all the misinformation, on both sides, that has to be dealt with as well.
When the Feds
Wake up and move into the 21st century and out of the 70's and make a federal medical marijuana then there won't be a national black market.
Not get all drawn out but if you look at Holland where marijuana is legal and I think Spain or Potugal (I forget which) saw a drop in teen useage after making marijuana legal.
So some usage is going to be just because your a teenager and then when a teenager trys pot and alcohol finds out the dirty truth that alcohol is 10X worse than pot then all the people who speak out against it lose their credibility.
Md
I can appreciate your point of view and concern on these issues and the safety of our children.
However, I would be less concerned about my child's safety if I caught them smoking Marijuana than I would if I caught them drinking alcohol although I would still not condone it.
My opinion on drivers is that it would most likely carry the same warnings and liabilities as other prescription medications.
To be totally honest with you, I smoked pounds of Marijuana as a teenager and function just fine as an adult. I had a great career in the military and now as a civilian enjoy a productive career. By saying this, I am not condoning it's use in any ways other than for medical purposes but at the end of the day it is less harmful than a nice glass of vino.
As for your last link, I think it is a good question, but it is only a question at this point. I'm an empirical kinda of person and would have to see all (not some) of the data. Both supporting and opposing this hypothesis.
I find it very troubling that our society readily accepts one drug and not the other while both are judged on false assumptions, half truths, and the clear disregard of valid information.
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md3572 - you do get around, don't you?
But, I DON"T LIKE SPAM!!!
MD3572 Is full of
BS.
MerryWanna legalization is coming,after 70 +years of prohibition and lies from your federal government. All the know nothing prohibitionists have to offer up is more fear and loathing Reefer madness Bullsh!+.
As a 67 year old American citizen I will excersise my right to choose a safer alternative to prescription drugs . As I see my fellow senior citizens developing diseases that come with old age I encourage them to use MJ as a alternative to deadly prescription drugs. How many drugs are dispensed at senior living centers,that could be replaced with MJ. I'm not saying that the herb will cure serious medical conditions,but a lot of drugs that are passed out are for depression,insomnia,nerves etc. MJ is a healthier choice in those cases.If YOU are against useing a natural herb for whatever reason then fine,you are free to choose dangerous prescription drugs,but You have no right to deny others their freedom to choose a safer alternative.