Rise of the Phoenix: Arkansas Medical Marijuana Act defeated by Small Margin

Mark Daniels
Activist & Blogger
Global Political Awakening

As the Phoenix is reborn with healing tears, so shall the The Yes on 5 campaign for the Medical Marijuana Act of Arkansas (Ballot Issue 5) which was narrowly defeated on Election Day, November 6, 2012 (52%/48%).

Arkansans for Compassionate Care immediately reported to social media sites a declaration of sorts, vowing to increase Statewide efforts for education and outreach, beginning with the state legislature.

Melissa Fults, treasurer for Arkansans for Compassionate Care, said her group will first pursue the issue through the state Legislature. If that fails, she said, it will again go through a petition campaign to get it on the ballot in two years.

"Needless to say, we're disappointed," Fults said by phone Wednesday morning. "But we were so close. We did more than anybody ever believed we'd do. And we'll start right back."

Fults said she believes the closeness of the race could spur legislators to take up the issue even though previous attempts haven't worked.  (Source)

"I predict it will pass overwhelmingly next time."—Arkansas Judge

A proposal to make AR the first southern state to legalize MMJ was rejected by 52% of voters. Chris Kell, the campaign strategist for Arkansans for Compassionate Care, tells The Fix that the narrow loss was due to the "onslaught of propaganda and misinformation that the opposition put out there"—specifically the Arkansas Family Council. "Their whole campaign claimed this was a back door to full legalization—but that's completely false." Despite the outcome, the fact that the issue made the ballot at all—and lost only narrowly—in the conservative state represents significant progress for the MMJ movement.  (Source)

Education for the 2014 cycle starts today, Folks. You're going to be talking to lots of folks in the next few weeks who are more aware about marijuana than ever before. 

Stay engaged! Help us build the group that will be invincible in 2014. (Source)

Compassion balanced with responsibility

By DAVID COUCH SPECIAL TO THE DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

LITTLE ROCK — Imagine for a moment that someone you love is suffering from debilitating pain that has not responded to ordinary medications, treatment or surgical measures for more than six months. Her doctor, seeing that the other treatments are not alleviating her pain, recommends that she try marijuana, as it has been effective alleviating the pain of other patients, without any significant negative side effects.

Would you want that pain relief to be a legal option for your loved one?

Imagine now that another person you love is going through chemotherapy treatments, hoping to kill the cancer cells in her body. The treatment is causing nausea so severe she is unable to eat and her strength is deteriorating rapidly. Her doctor, having seen this condition hundreds of times before, recommends that she use marijuana to diminish the nausea and regain her appetite.

Would you want your loved one to have that legal option?