Both Sides of Issue 5 Look Ahead to What's Next for Medical Marijuana in Arkansas
By: Deedra Wilson, KARK 4 News
Updated: November 7, 2012
An issue that sparked a lot of attention across the Natural State, the race stayed tight for the medical marijuana issue.
Now with almost 90 percent of the precincts reporting, 51.47 percent are against and 48.53 percent are for, blocking the legalization of medical marijuana in Arkansas.
It was a long, hard fight for people involved on both sides of this issue, and the outcome's slim margin demonstrates just how passionate both sides felt about medical marijuana.
This is a campaign that started two years ago for Arkansans for Compassionate Care, who acquired more than 100,000 signatures to get the measure on the ballot.
Family Council says it didn't think medical marijuana would reach the November ballot, so next time they are going to start campaigning early.
"Because in the past they attempted to get this on the ballot and never had been successful at it," says Jerry Cox with the Family Council. "Then all of a sudden they got about a quarter of a million dollars in out-of-state money that paid their canvassers and they got it on the ballot, and from there it was just off to the races."
Meanwhile, Arkansans for Compassionate Care say they are going to try and get someone in the general assembly to introduce it, to see if lawmakers will pass it.
"You know a lot of criticism was there was not enough input from the state, so what better place to do it then at the general assembly," says David Couch with Arkansans for Compassionate Care.
Couch says if they don't do it, they will rewrite the proposal, circulate the petition and get it back on the ballot in two years.
Now with almost 90 percent of the precincts reporting, 51.47 percent are against and 48.53 percent are for, blocking the legalization of medical marijuana in Arkansas.
It was a long, hard fight for people involved on both sides of this issue, and the outcome's slim margin demonstrates just how passionate both sides felt about medical marijuana.
This is a campaign that started two years ago for Arkansans for Compassionate Care, who acquired more than 100,000 signatures to get the measure on the ballot.
Family Council says it didn't think medical marijuana would reach the November ballot, so next time they are going to start campaigning early.
"Because in the past they attempted to get this on the ballot and never had been successful at it," says Jerry Cox with the Family Council. "Then all of a sudden they got about a quarter of a million dollars in out-of-state money that paid their canvassers and they got it on the ballot, and from there it was just off to the races."
Meanwhile, Arkansans for Compassionate Care say they are going to try and get someone in the general assembly to introduce it, to see if lawmakers will pass it.
"You know a lot of criticism was there was not enough input from the state, so what better place to do it then at the general assembly," says David Couch with Arkansans for Compassionate Care.
Couch says if they don't do it, they will rewrite the proposal, circulate the petition and get it back on the ballot in two years.
