Little Rock Attorney Drafting Adult-Use Marijuana Legalization Bill

Attorney David Couch already has a recreational marijuana amendment ready to submit. He wrote the medical marijuana amendment that was adopted by Arkansas voters in 2016. Couch just needs to see enough support for the initiative via polls before he will submit the amendment.

Couch says that polls need to show greater than 58-percent support for recreational legalization first, according to the Arkansas Times. The state is close, but isn’t there just yet. Several outside polling firms are used to create the estimation of support.

Couch said, “If you ask the generic question, ‘Should Arkansas legalize and tax marijuana for personal use?’ You’re bumping up around 52-53 is where it floats right now. At 52-percent, I don’t’ think you’re there yet.”

A recent University of Arkansas poll showed 47-percent.

Under Couch’s recreational marijuana amendment, existing medical marijuana dispensaries would be permitted to participate in recreational sales. The amendment does not include provisions for home cultivation. No home cultivation may be part of the low approval rating, couch estimated.

There would still be value to holding a medical marijuana card as it would remain untaxed. Taxes would be applied to recreational marijuana sales.