The latest polling data coming out of Arkansas shows a rough fight ahead for their ballot initiative to legalize the medical use of marijuana. In a poll conducted Thursday, October 18th, by TalkBusiness and Hendrix College had support for Issue 5 at just 38%, with opposition at 54% and 8% are undecided. Another poll, conducted by the University of Arkansas between October 9th and October 14, had support for medical marijuana in Arkansas at 44%, opposition at 52%, and undecideds at 5%. Both of these polls show support down when compared to data released in July of this year, which had the issue in a dead heat with 47% support and 46% opposition.
For more information on the initiative and on how you can help legalize medical use of cannabis in Arkansas this November, please visit the campaign’s website at www.arcompassion.com
These initiatives should only be started when states are obviously supporting the issues. This kind of thing looks bad for the movement, and steal from victories in more liberal states! It was way to soon for this, and those that proposed it should have known it. Backward states will follow only when they feel pressured. Arkansas is full of backward thinking nuts just like Kansas, Oklahoma, and unfortunately Texas!
fear is a powerful weapon but a war always begins and ends with the truth
🙁
That Racist propaganda add the opposition started in Arkansas speaks volumes as to how that state’s majority thinks, and everyone knows it.
As someone who has lived in Northwest Arkansas their whole life, I assure you that places such as Fayetteville, Fort Smith, Conway and Little Rock are fully behind the medical marijuana movement, even most of the elderly in Bella Vista (a former retirement village that I lived near) are calling for it. Unfortunately, there are still plenty of the racist, backward thinking tea-baggers that are trying to shut it down because of the simple fact that they fear what they don’t understand. Humans are a tricky thing.
@BW such a fool, if you never start till everyone’s ready you would never start! As for backwards well I’ll let you show that side. and for some of the polls some were done by a Christen collage. Time will tell.YES on Issue #5
I’m with you Ken! I haven’t given up yet and neither should ANYONE!!! Let’s just vote this in and shut down these lowlife naysayers once and for all. THIS ABSOLUTELY IS THE RIGHT CHOICE FOR ARKANSAS!!
It’s not that you should’nt start something, it’s that you jumped head first into something the majority of Arkansa voters are clearly not ready for. All these ass kicking defeats do is give the “naysayers” a clear message to other backward states that the “legalizers” are still the minority. Look this is just a difference in opinion in the end, all I’m saying is baby steps are required! The states that even have a shot start with some form of decrim to soften up peoples attitudes. I’d share your opinion, and if I lived there I would absolutely vote yes, but the numbers tell me someone did’nt prepare for this.
Sorry about the lack of another s there, but I’m sure you understand seeing as how you misspelled both Christian and college. Fool
Maybe it’s the “medicine”
So very sad, 75 years and still we need to take baby steps? I’m afraid I’ll baby step all the way to my grave. Too many people with out represintation from the goverment. Stay the corse Arkansa, to late to second guess now. I hope common sense will prevail.
medical marijuana works. i have seen it. when a loved on is on chemo it so terrible you will do anything. only thing that really worked was marijuana it helped alot. for god sake how can you say no when somebody you love is suffering. thanks and god bless
Getting 38% for Medical Marijuana in America’s most conservative state (trust me) is hardly a failure or a baby step. All the good people who worked to get Issue 5 on the ballot deserve a round of applause. It’s a great start.
Voters who live in the Natural State will have the chance to live up to their name. Issue 5 will provide alternative medicine to those who are sick and dying. Arkansans will have the opportunity to end the monopoly forced upon them by pharmaceutical companies controlling their access to safe, alternative medicine. A YES vote for issue 5 will make Arkansas the first southern state to recognize marijuana as a legal medicine. The greatest compassion Arkansans can give to those who are ill, is Choice. I urge the good people of the Natural State to show compassion through choice. Vote Yes on issue 5 to secure that choice.
@BW Last election cycle, we didnt even get this on the ballot. Times are changing… not just in liberal states. If we are defeated we will get more signatures and KEEP GOING. Not gonna give up!!!
Bw: you may want to look up defeatism in the dictionary. i really don’t appreciate your pessimism on this issue–we’ll have our day at the polls and will come up smiling.
i could not agree more with what travis wrote above. he summed it up right there for all of us! recognize.
I really don’t know how it will play out. I’ve already voted for it and have about 10 people pledging to vote for it. The Family Life Council in the state (a conservative ‘religious’ organization) has lined up opposition and they are bombarding the media with misrepresentation and hitting on people’s fears of the unknown.
I have never smoked and I don’t drink and have a business but I still believe 5 should pass. I know it can help sick people that suffer with pain and some mental illness. Yes Arkansas is backwards. Some cities won’t sell alcohol on sunday. What a joke. The people here just drive 5 miles and buy the alcohol they want. No taxes money for Ozark, Arkansas. They will probably stay backwards for another 50 years. I will be heading back to California and there will be no more taxes from me for Arkansas.
Medical Marijuana, if you don’t want to access it AFTER it becomes approved, then don’t use it. If you’re satisfied with a busted economy, don’t approve it. Why not suck up all that money, and cut out the middle men. Quit saying it’s a SIN until you’ve tried it.
Someone told me {just yesterday} that smoking pot causes short term memory loss…….And something else but i forgot ! lol
All B.S. aside,The states are in bad shape {lack of funds}, By taxing this we can improve the school’s …that’s all good untill the state’s put the tax’s into a general fund and use it for something else just like they do with the lottery.
OK, I have to get back to my bong and solve the world’s problem’s…
LOL
There are just too many cranky 70+ old retirees in Arkansas for medical marijuana to pass. They still fear ‘hippies’ will take over.
Maybe in a few years when they pass on, it will have a better chance.
Bw’s.. lack of education lead to the following :
” Sorry about the lack of another s there, but I’m sure you understand seeing as how you misspelled both Christian and college. Fool ”
First “s” is not a word & ” fool “is not a sentence . There is also a period after sentences ( example – medicine ) so what have you been drinking,Bw ?
I am not real sure mj or other drugs where ever illegal. I do however understand there are a bunch of in bred genocidal maniacs in our legal system that think we are nothing but animals ( i.e. live stock ). Prohibition is retarded and has increased the level of substance abuse, violence and associated crime. My 2 cents worth.
to many good people get suckered into criminal element to get what helps them out……..beware of the negetive sides …..pot dealers will be against this bill and so will police and officials using the law to steal realestate and personal property ……its a scam to keep it illeagle……you get the message!
Arkansas just like the rest of the south has problems with the ideas of progressing. The state is Poor rural and super conservative with a common practice of bible thumping by the older generations. As an Arkansan I support issue 5 and believe it is morally wrong to keep medicine away from Cancer patients. Marijuana is everywhere in Arkansas regulating seems to be the way to go.
I gathered signatures to get this put on the ballot. It is not that support isn’t there a majority of people here a marijuana supporters. There are several things that hold this back though and that is lots of people that support it are felons and can’t vote or just are not registered and don’t care about voting. This issue has got more people here registered than ever before. Also what is holding this back it the stupid racist propaganda that the “Family Council” has been putting in the paper almost every day. I will never buy an Arkansas Democrat Gazette paper after seeing all the stupid shit they have aloud them to put in the paper. These “news” papers just let anyone put anything they want in their papers if they pay enough for it. Nothing but garbage and everyone reads it and most believe it.
Adding to above comment they are using the “they are going to prescribe marijuana to all our kids” propaganda to defeat this. These religious nuts freak out about giving underage cancer patients a natural plant but I don’t see any of them up in arms about the thousands of small children (many under 10) that get prescribed amphetamines usually in the form of Adderall, large doses of Seroquel, and antidepressants like the shit is candy. I have seen many kids get really fucked up by this shit and many of them have grown up to be much more dis-functional than they were before. When my girlfriend was in school they tried to force Seroquel down her throat for awhile and she was a pretty normal kid. They tell the parents this is what is best for their kids and most are idiots so they go along with it. The parents and the school then become the biggest drug pushers and they are not even aware of it. This really bothers me because the victims are not aware of what is going on. I am fine with adults being drug addicts if they choose to do that but it is wrong to force it on kids that don’t understand what it being done to them.
smoke 5 joints get home safely..drink 5 beers endanger yourslef and society. but they can have their organized drug dealers on every corner and liquor store on every street. and yes if something dont change alot of us business owners are gonna go packing..not gonna create jobs here anymore to pay taxes where we cant have a personal choice.. its bs and brain washing
and for the bible belt..god said which not to eat from to eve. he didnt say all my plants are good but dont touch that pot plant.. and stop trying to mix religion into medical issues..tks
I have bipolar disorder and marijuana is the only thing that keeps my mood swings in check.So who is this govt. to tell me I can’t have my medicine?It sure would be nice to go to a secure place to get medicine instead of the hood.Please folks pass issue 5. You never know it might be you that needs it some day…Thank you
As someone who lives in Arkansas let me inform you that in this state most of these backwards hillbillies are actually very avid stoners. Despite what some communities in this state think most of the big ones are full of avid drug users and regular people who fully Support the issue. I believe it will have no problem passing.
i agree ronald almost every one i know in fort smith supports parents grand parents and most of my friends
I have lived here in ar for 6 yrs. I moved frim so. Cal. I had a medical marijuana card. It was a god send. I have really bad back pain. I was on pills fir years. Weed is so much better. I am glad its on the ballot and I can hopefully do this legally again. Please vote yes.
I really hate it when some of you call my state backward!Most of us are not! I am 59 and have voted yes already as well as many of my friends and family. This overbearing family counsel group are pumping out lies just as they did with the Casinos and hoping something will stick. I do hope and pray that it will pass. Every state has stupid people not just us!Two faced people who voted against casinos line op everyday to buy tickets! I think the vote will go quite well.
You have to take into account that a lot of people who will be voting for this, probably won’t vote till last minute 🙂
I dont’ know about ‘avid stoners” but everyone I have talked to has claimed to have voted YES on Issue 5 with 1 exception. So nearly a 20:1 ratio? look around on facebook & twitter and see how many people are say yes vs no on Issue 5.
Heart-wrenching War on drugs
Obama’s DEA spokesman was on TV the other morning talking about progress in the war on drugs and how the agency is stamping out Marijuana use where ever it exists, aggressively arresting users and dealers alike and dropping the hammer.
It reminded me of two patients I once had while attending medical school in Little Rock. Both patients were undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer that had spread to their bones and organs. The chemotherapy caused severe nausea and vomiting to the point that they were both losing weight at a frightening pace. Each lady was in danger of having to suspend chemotherapy which meant certain death for both.
The answer for both was marijuana, for patient A, who was a wealthy lady with unlimited resources that meant taking Marinol which is a legal form of Marijuana produced at a huge profit by a large pharmaceutical company and legally purchased at the local drug store. However for patient B who was poor, dependent on Medicaid and unable pay 1000 dollars a month for government marijuana it meant drinking marijuana tea. Both forms of the drug worked great and both ladies began to regain weight and respond to chemotherapy.
A few weeks later patient B failed to make her appointment and we were dumfounded because she had never missed an appointment. We later discovered that she had been arrested for growing marijuana plants in her home and was looking at serious prison time for being a producer. She missed several weeks of chemo’ and her disease returned with a vengeance, she died a horrible death a few months later.
Patient A went on taking the government approved form of marijuana and had a complete recovery.
When I picture Ms.” B” leaving her house for the last time in handcuffs I cannot escape images of WWII Nazi SS soldiers leading Jewish citizens to death camps in those black and white film strips shown on the history channel. Nor can I help but imagine myself as one of the German citizens looking the other way while denying the Holocaust.
In a FREE country of FREE people freedom is almost always the best course.
There is no such thing as a war on drugs. All wars, regardless of their monikers, are waged by governments against people.
Randy Walker MD
To those who are saying Arkansas is the most conservative state in America, you couldn’t be more wrong. The bigger cities ere are filled with liberals. I voted, I don’t quite expect it to pass, but I think it will be closer than most people are thinking.
Look there are 70 verses in the bible all about weed
On how god mad it and how he saw that it was good
So for this being the bible belt they don’t follow it