Poll shows narrow split among voters over Arkansas medical marijuana Issue 6
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. Arkansas voters were narrowly split over a proposal to legalize medical marijuana before the state Supreme Court disqualified a competing measure from next weeks ballot, according to a poll released Wednesday by the University of Arkansas.
Forty-nine percent of respondents who identified themselves as likely voters in the annual Arkansas Poll supported Issue 6, which would allow patients with certain medical conditions to buy marijuana from licensed dispensaries. Forty-seven percent opposed the measure, while four percent didnt know or declined to say how they felt.
The poll was largely conducted before the State Supreme Court last week disqualified a competing medical marijuana ballot measure known as Issue 7, though supporters of that proposal have asked the court to reconsider. Arkansas voters narrowly rejected a similar medical marijuana proposal four years ago.
Its still something on which were sharply divided, but its clearly something people are taking seriously, said Janine Parry, the poll director.
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Issues & Answers Network, Inc. surveyed 800 Arkansas residents by phone between Oct. 18 and Oct. 27. The poll has an overall margin of error of 3.5 percentage points and 4.1 percentage points for very likely voters. Parry said only 20 of the surveys were conducted on Oct. 27, the day of the ruling.
The head of the group behind Issue 6 said he was encouraged by the numbers, since it came before the ruling and before the campaign had ramped up its statewide television ad campaign.
I think our advertising will help us and the fact theres only one medical marijuana issue people can vote on will help us as well, said David Couch, head of Arkansans United for Medical Marijuana.
Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson, who once led the federal Drug Enforcement Administration, and a coalition of groups that includes the state Chamber of Commerce and the Arkansas Farm Bureau have been campaigning against the measure. State Surgeon General Greg Bledsoe, a spokesman for that coalition, said he was encouraged by the numbers, considering that opponents have been outspent by medical marijuana advocates.
Certainly it could go either way on Nov. 8 and were hoping Arkansas voters continue to study this and vote ...
