So Close Yet So Far Away: Kansas Repels Marijuana Policy Reform As Arkansas Embraces It

Kansas and Arkansas are not far from each other on the map, but their stance on cannabis is worlds apart.

A member of the Kansas House of Representatives introduced an amendment this week to a broader drug bill that would have removed cannabis from the state's controlled substances law.

"This amendment essentially removes marijuana—cannabis—from the schedule entirely," Rep. Silas Miller (D), who is behind the effort, said this week. The measure didn't seek to legalize sales of marijuana or set up of new market.

However, Miller's push to amend HB 2596 was killed in a 41–80 vote. The broader bill aligns the state’s controlled substances act with the federal Controlled Substances Act – a process conducted annually in Kansas, writes Marijuana Moment's Ben Adlin.

For now, Kansas remains one of the last strongholds of prohibition, with its Senate and House yet to agree on the issue.

Meanwhile, a 2023 poll revealed that 67% of adults in Kansas favor legalizing recreational marijuana.

To address the growing trend, Kansas activists and organizations are intensifying efforts to make the policy change. The Kansas Cannabis Coalition, Loud Light and the ACLU of Kansas recently held a virtual roundtable to discuss strategies for persuading the 2024 Kansas Legislature to pass a bill legalizing medical marijuana, for starters.

Arkansas Medical Marijuana Program Set To Expand

Heading Southeast, medical cannabis efforts seem to be paying off.

Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin gave the green light to the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Amendment of 2024, allowing for the ballot measure to garner signatures. Griffin, who previously rejected ballot language due to its title, Arkansas Medical Cannabis Amendment of 2024 seems to be on board now.

The proposal would expand Arkansas’ medical marijuana (MMJ) program and make it legal for more healthcare professionals to prescribe MMJ. It would also expand the list of conditions for which medical marijuana can be used, reported Arkansas Advocate.

The measure would extend the validity of MMJ cards for patients from other states to three years.

Additionally, the proposal would make recreational marijuana legal once and if cannabis is removed from the controlled substances list at the federal level.

Activists need to collect 90,704 signatures from registered voters by July 5, 2024 to qualify for the ballot.

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