Those on both sides of legalizing recreational marijuana in Arkansas speak out
So I would like to talk about something in the news recently involving this election cycle, when it comes to the recreational marijuana initiative, there was *** back and forth between the Secretary of State’s office where they declared the recreational marijuana amendments ballot title insufficient, it was eventually overturned by the state Supreme Court. How do you feel that situation was handled And how if elected, would you handle similar situations like that? Again, the role of Secretary of State should be *** nonpartisan, you know, arbiter of, of how we get things on the ballot. And again, there’s *** lot of role of the legislative body involved and they put *** lot of laws in place, we kind of have to manage that process. You know, this is issue for, is is *** hotbed issue, but I I trust trust our kansans, I trust them to make the decision for our state. And so I would be very careful as secretary of state that although I’m running on *** party platform and I’m *** proud democrat. You know, once elected, I become the Secretary of State for all of Arkansas. And so if if *** group of legislators have, have done the work, the hard work to get that issue on the ballot, then I’m gonna do my job and I’m not going to let my personal feelings on an issue one or the other shade or influence the role that I have, which is to ensure that we can get things on the ballot. So the signatures were, you know, verified and approved and certified by my office, uh they had the proper amount of signatures. Uh, also when so when the ballot title went to the state board, which everyone knows the Supreme Court deemed that unconstitutional, that the state board would approve *** ballot title and personally don’t totally get that. But uh, and I chair that board, it was unanimous that that ballot title was deceiving unanimous democrat, Representative Republican represent the whole entire board. I did not vote on that particular uh, on that. I was chairing and I was going to an event, there was *** tie but did not um, personally, I’m voting against it. I have some libertarian leaning. I’m all for decriminalizing marijuana. However, if you read that bill or not bill, but that amendment, it has not just some barriers of entry. It is *** complete barrier of entry. It is the opposite of the free market when you look at that particular amendment and we go back to this again and, you know, john, I both have our personal feelings and we’re gonna vote how we’re gonna vote, I’m gonna vote in favor again because I believe that recreational marijuana is *** step in the right direction and it’s coming. But the train has left the station right. It is coming. Um, is it per it’s written no, the great thing is that we have *** way to admit to change the process to change the language. It’s hard, but we can do it. So again, I’m gonna put faith and trust in our KAnsans, but I’m gonna stop short of putting my personal feelings on the process. That’s not the role of secretary of State, that is not the role of this constitutional office. Excuse me, Mr thurston, you have another 30 and that is true, and I obviously have not done that in this whole entire process. Um but I do wanna I just wanna point this out because this amendment and I’m sure she’ll get campaign contributions after I say this. But this amendment is not as clear as people think it is not free market, it does create barriers of entry and it does create *** drug cartel period whether the social issue of marijuana, whatever you think of that that is separate. It could be bubble guppies or pineapples that we’re talking about. Gotta call time. Thank you and.
Those on both sides of legalizing recreational marijuana in Arkansas speak out
Updated: 5:04 PM CDT Oct 18, 2022
There are television ads now playing for and against issue 4. If approved, the measure would amend the state constitution to allow recreational marijuana use. Tyler Beaver with the organization Safe and Secure Communities, calls the ads claiming marijuana sales would result in law enforcement funding, “swamp politics.””It’s 1.5% of the net proceeds from marijuana, that’s really what is going to be given to law enforcement,” Beaver said. “At the end of the day, it’s a small stipend. It really doesn’t make much of a dent.”Eddie Armstrong, chairman of Responsible Growth Arkansas which supports ballot issue 4, thinks otherwise.”Voters will see it,” Armstrong said. “There is a portion of the tax revenue that will specifically go to enforce law enforcement at the tune of $45 million on an annual basis.”Ballot issue 4 would allow those 21 and over to legally possess up to one ounce of marijuana in Arkansas. Beaver said that’s dangerous for kids”It removes all THC limits from all products here in Arkansas. All the gummy bears, sodas, cookies. Should children get a hold of those we can have real issues as we have seen in the state of Colorado,” Beaver said.”People may raise that concern and try to raise mass hysteria but people that want to consume these products no different than buying a bottle of beer or six pack of beer,” Armstrong said. With over 190,000 citizens signing on to the initial petition to get Issue 4 on the ballot, Armstrong said Responsible Growth Arkansas is simply following the will of Arkansans.”Our state motto is the people rule and I think that is exactly what this citizen lead initiative has shown,” Armstrong said. “We feel very confident that we are going to get this over the finish line for the citizens of Arkansas.””This is an amendment that was generated and fully developed by the marijuana industry explicitly for the marijuana industry,” Beaver said.
There are television ads now playing for and against issue 4. If approved, the measure would amend the state constitution to allow recreational marijuana use. Tyler Beaver with the organization Safe and Secure Communities, calls the ads claiming marijuana sales would result in law enforcement funding, “swamp politics.”
“It’s 1.5% of the net proceeds from marijuana, that’s really what is going to be given to law enforcement,” Beaver said. “At the end of the day, it’s a small stipend. It really doesn’t make much of a dent.”
Eddie Armstrong, chairman of Responsible Growth Arkansas which supports ballot issue 4, thinks otherwise.
“Voters will see it,” Armstrong said. “There is a portion of the tax revenue that will specifically go to enforce law enforcement at the tune of $45 million on an annual basis.”
Ballot issue 4 would allow those 21 and over to legally possess up to one ounce of marijuana in Arkansas. Beaver said that’s dangerous for kids
“It removes all THC limits from all products here in Arkansas. All the gummy bears, sodas, cookies. Should children get a hold of those we can have real issues as we have seen in the state of Colorado,” Beaver said.
“People may raise that concern and try to raise mass hysteria but people that want to consume these products no different than buying a bottle of beer or six pack of beer,” Armstrong said.
With over 190,000 citizens signing on to the initial petition to get Issue 4 on the ballot, Armstrong said Responsible Growth Arkansas is simply following the will of Arkansans.
“Our state motto is the people rule and I think that is exactly what this citizen lead initiative has shown,” Armstrong said. “We feel very confident that we are going to get this over the finish line for the citizens of Arkansas.”
“This is an amendment that was generated and fully developed by the marijuana industry explicitly for the marijuana industry,” Beaver said.
