Cannabis in Arkansas

Cannabis was criminalized in Arkansas in 1923; New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington also banned cannabis in that year.{{cite book|author=Charles H. Whitebread|title=The Marijuana Conviction: A History of Marijuana Prohibition in the United States|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0DVtoQlvZs0C|year=1974|publisher=Lindesmith Center|isbn=978-1-891385-06-3|page=39}}{{cite web |last1=Guither |first1=Pete |title=Why is Marijuana Illegal? |url=http://www.drugwarrant.com/articles/why-is-marijuana-illegal/ |website=Drug WarRant |access-date=April 18, 2019}}

The possession of under {{convert|4|oz|g|spell=in}} of cannabis is a Class A misdemeanor under state law, carrying a fine of up to $2,500 and up to one year imprisonment. For those with two existing convictions, possession of over {{convert|1|oz|g|spell=in}} is a Class D felony punishable by a fine of up to $6,000 and a maximum six years in prison.{{cite web |url=http://www.mpp.org/states/arkansas/ |title=Arkansas |date=November 7, 2012 |publisher=Marijuana Policy Project |access-date=November 9, 2012}}

As Arkansas is a "Smoke a joint, lose your license" state,{{citation |last1=Aiken |first1=Joshua |title=Reinstating Common Sense: How driver's license suspensions for drug offenses unrelated to driving are falling out of favor |url=https://www.prisonpolicy.org/driving/national.html |access-date=September 23, 2020 |publisher=Prison Policy Initiative |date=December 12, 2016}} any conviction for a cannabis offense is punished with a mandatory six month driver's license suspension.{{cite web |title=Arkansas Laws and Penalties |url=https://norml.org/laws/arkansas-penalties/ |website=NORML |access-date=September 24, 2020}}

In 2012, the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Act (Issue 5) qualified for vote on the statewide ballot. The act would have allowed non-profit organizations to grow and sell medical cannabis and additionally permitted patients who live over five miles from a legal dispensary to cultivate a small number of plants on their own property.{{cite web |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/arkansas-sends-medical-marijuana-law-to-the-ballot-20120824 |title=Arkansas Sends Medical Marijuana Law to the Ballot |last=Gwynne |first=Kristin |date=August 24, 2012 |publisher=Rolling Stone |access-date=November 9, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120901222624/https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/arkansas-sends-medical-marijuana-law-to-the-ballot-20120824 |archive-date=September 1, 2012 |url-status=dead}}{{cite news |last1=Franco |first1=Cheree |title=The medical marijuana push in Arkansas |url=https://arktimes.com/news/arkansas-reporter/2012/03/28/the-medical-marijuana-push-in-arkansas |access-date=April 18, 2019 |work=Arkansas Times |date=March 28, 2012}} The act was defeated by a vote of 48.6% to 51.4%.{{cite web |title=Arkansas Medical Marijuana Question, Issue 5 (2012) |url=https://ballotpedia.org/Arkansas_Medical_Marijuana_Question,_Issue_5_(2012) |website=Ballotpedia |access-date=April 18, 2019}}

On November 8, 2016, Arkansas voters approved Issue 6, the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Amendment,{{cite web |title=Arkansas Medical Marijuana Amendment, Issue 6 (2016) |url=https://ballotpedia.org/Arkansas_Medical_Marijuana_Amendment,_Issue_6_(2016) |website=Ballotpedia |access-date=April 18, 2019}} to legalize the medical use of cannabis.{{cite news |last1=Cannon |first1=Austin |title=Arkansas voters pass medical marijuana amendment |url=https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2016/nov/08/arkansas-voters-pass-medical-marijuana-amendment/ |access-date=April 18, 2019 |work=Arkansas Democrat-Gazette |date=November 8, 2016}}{{cite news |last1=DeMillo |first1=Andrew |title=Arkansas voters bring medical marijuana to the Bible Belt |url=https://apnews.com/539c26f41a4b4f2e90905f4448a28d48 |access-date=April 18, 2019 |work=Associated Press |date=November 9, 2016}} A separate measure, the Arkansas Medical Cannabis Act (Issue 7),{{cite web |title=Arkansas Medical Cannabis Act, Issue 7 (2016) |url=https://ballotpedia.org/Arkansas_Medical_Cannabis_Act,_Issue_7_(2016) |website=Ballotpedia |access-date=December 11, 2020}} was disqualified from the ballot 12 days before the election by the Arkansas Supreme Court.{{cite news |last1=Pettit |first1=Emma |title=Arkansas court disqualifies one medical marijuana proposal |url=https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2016/oct/27/arkansas-court-disqualifies-2nd-medical-marijuana-/ |access-date=December 11, 2020 |work=Arkansas Democrat-Gazette |date=October 27, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201108123734/https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2016/oct/27/arkansas-court-disqualifies-2nd-medical-marijuana-/ |archive-date=November 8, 2020}}{{cite news |last1=Fanney |first1=Brian |title=Court strikes medical marijuana initiated act; Issue 7 votes won't count, but those on rival Issue 6 will |url=https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2016/oct/28/court-strikes-medical-pot-initiated-act/ |access-date=December 11, 2020 |work=Arkansas Democrat-Gazette |date=October 28, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180825050226/https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2016/oct/28/court-strikes-medical-pot-initiated-act/ |archive-date=August 25, 2018}}

The Arkansas Medical Marijuana Amendment passed by a vote of 53%–47% as an amendment to the state constitution.{{cite news |title=How Medical Cannabis Will Be Implemented in Arkansas |url=http://www.freeweekly.com/2016/11/16/how-medical-cannabis-will-be-implemented-in-arkansas/ |access-date=April 18, 2019 |work=The Free Weekly |date=November 16, 2016}} It allows patients who obtain a doctor's recommendation to possess up to {{convert|2+1/2|oz|g}} of cannabis for treatment of any of 12 qualifying medical conditions. It also requires that between 20 and 40 cannabis dispensaries and 4 to 8 cultivators be licensed by the state.{{cite news |last1=DeMillo |first1=Andrew |title=In the weeds: Long road to medical pot's start in Arkansas |url=https://www.apnews.com/fc48d03ea5f04584b6933fc72e6e3c59 |access-date=April 18, 2019 |work=Associated Press |date=November 11, 2016}} No allowance was made for patients to cultivate at home.

Licensed sales did not begin until May 2019 when the first dispensary opened in Hot Springs.{{cite news |last1=Grabenstein |first1=Hannah |title=Arkansas' first medical marijuana dispensary opens its doors |url=https://apnews.com/94ad1c34506b4c22b1868011de720bca |access-date=May 20, 2019 |work=Associated Press |date=May 11, 2019}} The dispensary was one of 32 initially licensed by the state along with 5 cultivators.{{cite news |last1=Field |first1=Hunter |title=MAP: List's out on 1st 32 medical marijuana buy sites in Arkansas |url=https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2019/feb/06/list-s-out-on-1st-32-cannabis-buy-sites/ |access-date=May 20, 2019 |work=Arkansas Democrat-Gazette |date=February 6, 2019}} As of early 2025 Arkansas has 8 cultivators, and 38 dispensaries. Current state law caps the number of cultivation licenses issued by the medical marijuana board to 8, and the maximum number of dispensary licenses to 40.

On September 22, 2022, the Supreme Court of Arkansas ruled that Issue 4, the Marijuana Legalization Initiative,{{cite web |title=Arkansas Issue 4, Marijuana Legalization Initiative (2022) |url=https://ballotpedia.org/Arkansas_Issue_4,_Marijuana_Legalization_Initiative_(2022) |website=Ballotpedia |access-date=September 28, 2022}} was valid for the November 2022 ballot after it was initially blocked by the Board of Election Commissioners.{{cite news |last1=DeMillo |first1=Andrew |title=Recreational marijuana measure OK'd for Arkansas ballot |url=https://apnews.com/article/health-arkansas-marijuana-recreational-supreme-court-bb2ec7c849bb46a793537ccfb9946420 |access-date=September 28, 2022 |work=Associated Press |date=September 22, 2022}} If approved, the initiative would have:{{cite news |last1=Angell |first1=Tom |title=Arkansas Supreme Court Says Votes Will Be Counted For Marijuana Initiative On November Ballot |url=https://www.marijuanamoment.net/arkansas-supreme-court-says-votes-will-be-counted-for-marijuana-initiative-on-november-ballot/ |access-date=September 28, 2022 |work=Marijuana Moment |date=September 22, 2022}}

• allowed the possession of up to one ounce of cannabis for adults 21 and over
• allowed the sale of cannabis at dispensaries licensed by the state
• not allowed for any home cultivation
• allowed the state to impose a 10% tax on recreational cannabis sales, in addition to existing state and local sales taxes
• divided tax revenue up between law enforcement (15 percent), the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (10 percent), and the state drug court program (5 percent), with the remainder going to the state general fund

The initiative failed with 44% of the vote on November 8, 2022, however.{{cite news |last1=Medley |first1=Robert |title=Recreational marijuana question falls short in Arkansas |url=https://www.swtimes.com/story/news/2022/11/09/arkansas-election-marijuana-issue-4-2022-results/65462985007/ |access-date=November 10, 2022 |work=Southwest Times Record |date=November 8, 2022}}{{cite web |title=Arkansas Issue 4, Marijuana Legalization Initiative (2022) |url=https://ballotpedia.org/Arkansas_Issue_4,_Marijuana_Legalization_Initiative_(2022) |website=Ballotpedia |access-date=November 10, 2022}}

In 2006, Eureka Springs residents voted 64%–36% to make enforcement of cannabis laws the lowest police priority.{{cite news |last1=Smith |first1=Phillip |title=Election 2006: Local Marijuana Initiatives Win Across the Board |url=https://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2006/nov/09/election_2006_local_marijuana_in |access-date=April 18, 2019 |work=stopthedrugwar.org |date=November 9, 2006}}{{cite news |title=Victory Energizes 'Pot' Law Backers |url=http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v06/n1546/a06.html |access-date=April 18, 2019 |work=Northwest Arkansas Times |date=November 11, 2006}} Fayetteville residents approved a similar initiative in 2008 by a 62%–38% margin.{{cite web |title=Fayetteville Lowest Law Enforcement and Prosecutorial Priority Policy Ordinance (2008) |url=https://ballotpedia.org/Fayetteville_Lowest_Law_Enforcement_and_Prosecutorial_Priority_Policy_Ordinance_(2008) |website=Ballotpedia |access-date=April 18, 2019}} However, a 2019 report by the Arkansas Justice Collective found that cannabis arrests actually increased by 44% in Fayetteville since the measure passed.{{cite news |last1=Ryburn |first1=Stacy |title=Report released on marijuana arrests, citations in Fayetteville |url=https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2019/jun/28/report-released-on-marijuana-arrests-ci/ |access-date=February 2, 2020 |work=Arkansas Democrat-Gazette |date=June 28, 2019}}

In 2021, the Little Rock Board of Directors voted 7–3 to require that "investigations, citations, arrests, property seizures, etc. for adult misdemeanor marijuana offenses" be made the lowest law enforcement and prosecutorial priority when the amount of cannabis is deemed to be for personal use.{{cite news |last1=Kellogg |first1=Sarah |title=City Board Of Directors Passes Ordinance De-Prioritizing Marijuana Offenses For Law Enforcement |url=https://www.ualrpublicradio.org/post/city-board-directors-passes-ordinance-de-prioritizing-marijuana-offenses-law-enforcement |access-date=May 19, 2021 |work=KUAR |date=May 19, 2021}}{{cite news |last1=Flaherty |first1=Joseph |title=Little Rock board approves ordinance classifying misdemeanor pot offenses as lowest priority for police |url=https://www.nwaonline.com/news/2021/may/19/lr-board-approves-ordinance-on-pot/ |access-date=May 19, 2021 |work=Arkansas Democrat-Gazette |date=May 19, 2021}}

{{reflist}}

{{Cannabis in the United States}}