LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — The potential legalization of marijuana continues forward in Arkansas.

Last month Attorney General Leslie Rutledge approved a ballot title that could make medical and recreational marijuana legal in the state.

The Arkansas Cannabis Amendment outlines regulations, growth permits, even how the drug will be taxed to make money for the state, but as the idea of pot being legal in Arkansas gains traction with voters legislators are holding tight to their opinions.

“People in general probably shouldn’t smoke it, but for medical reasons I’m all for it,”

Betty Harrison, Arkansas Voter said

The Arkansas Cannabis Amendment would allow doctors to prescribe medical marijuana, which US Congressional candidate Steve Isaacson argues would benefit people with chronic pain, cancer, even PTSD.

“The people with these disabilities need to be taken care of, this is a way to do it. No if’s and’s or but’s about it. And I will fight it until my death,” Steve Isaacson, Libertarian Candidate U.S. Congress, District 3, said.

“We already have a pharmacy system that’s been working just fine for every other drug and an FDA Approval system that is working just fine for every other drug,” State Representative Charlie Collins said.

The ACA would also let people 21 and over use marijuana for recreational purposes.

“My understanding is it isn’t as threatening as drinking alcohol which you know people do without much thought it seems like in our state,” Tim Hollis, Arkansas Voter said.

State Representative Charlie Collins said the legalization would send the wrong message to our kids.

“The truth is, as long as the federal government does not approve marijuana for legal use, if you are smoking marijuana, you are committing a crime against the federal law,” Representative Collins said.

But some voters said with the right education the pros outweigh the cons.

“Just look at Colorado and these other states that have a surplus of money do do things with, now that they’ve made that decision.”

Just last year the state of Colorado made $85 million in marijuana tax revenue.

The Arkansas Cannabis Amendment needs 85,000 signatures to be on the November ballot. It currently has over 20,000.

Don Lane, a former prison corrections officer and bo-write of the ballot title, says the ACA calls for the release of all non-violent marijuana offenders from prison.

“People in there doing 3 to 5 year stints for a simple possession of marijuana, and that ruins the rest of their lives, that felony conviction follows them around everywhere they go,” Lane said.

State Representative Charlie Collins told us he agrees the prison system needs to be reformed, but not to that extreme.

