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JONESBORO – If True Grass Arkansas is successful, the Arkansans will see the green in their future.
True Grass Arkansas is collecting signatures to have voters pass an amendment to the Arkansas Constitution in 2022 to legalize recreational marijuana in the state.
Briana Boling, spokesperson for True Grass Arkansas, said the organization has so far collected more than 20,000 signatures from registered voters. She said 89,151 are needed to get the measure in the November 2022 poll.
“I feel optimistic about it,†Boling said. “I think there’s a good chance it’s on the ballot.”
She said her organization is made up entirely of volunteers and operates on donations.
According to its website, “Arkansas True Grass is a popular movement to legalize cannabis in Arkansas. We support the cultivation and legalization of the cannabis plant for all purposes. We are sponsoring a Recreational Marijuana Amendment, an amendment to the Arkansas Constitution that will legalize and regulate recreational marijuana, and release captives and eliminate all non-violent marijuana offenses.
Boling said that legalizing recreational marijuana could help people addicted to opioids, even though the Food and Drug Administration does not approve marijuana as useful for this addiction.
“I think it would do more good than harm,†she said. “A lot of good could come out of it. “
Boling said more than 60 companies across the state were collecting signatures for the measure.
One of those companies is Emerald Triangle, which has stores on Main Street and Parker Road in Jonesboro and one in Brookland.
Richard Johnston, owner of Emerald Triangle, said he had “a few hundred” signatures on petitions in his stores.
“Medical marijuana has tons of support,†he said. “We have seen a reduction in alcohol abuse.
Johnston said that many non-FDA approved supplements are sold in stores and that he views recreational marijuana as an aid to other addictions.
He added that legalizing marijuana would ease some of the pressure on law enforcement and add taxes to the state.
Jonesboro Police Chief Rick Elliott said Thursday he was not ready to voice his opinion on legalizing recreational marijuana until he looked at all the facts about it.
Craighead County Sheriff Marty Boyd is against recreational marijuana.
“I can’t stand it,†he said. “We have seen too many accidents involving the use of marijuana.”
Boyd said he had a problem with the lack of a way to test drivers for sobriety regarding marijuana use. He said there have been problems in states that allow recreational marijuana like Colorado.
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