Arkansans ready to "Free the People and the Plant"
On April 25, the Arkansas Attorney General, Leslie Rutledge certified an Amendment for petition circulation that will not only legalize the cannabis plant for all its benefits in the medical, recreational, and industrial hemp markets, but it will release all non violent marijuana offenders from incarceration, probation, and parole, as well as expunge all criminal records of marijuana convictions in this state. It has become apparent that not only is it crucial that the cannabis plant be made available to Arkansans for all its many benefits it can bring to the state, but the damage prohibition has caused to the families was overwhelming! Time and time again we read about and hear about someone being arrested in the news in our state for the possession of marijuana, but what people fail to see and hear about is the many families these many arrests has effected. Since our approval to circulate the Arkansas Cannabis Amendment Petition a few stories have surfaced and have been shared with our members and we'd like to share them with our viewers.
Church Going Corrections Officer Humbled: Testimony by Grady Stillman While canvassing at the Grant county courthouse in Sheridan weekend before last. An elderly gentleman came walking up from behind our booth, and said he had parked around back because he didn't want certain people to see him here. He asked if the tax money collected from this cause would go to Arkansas schools. He said he worked in the prison system and was tired of seeing people always coming back. I looked him in the eye and said, "The Only Thing Bad About Cannabis Is The Laws. You See People Who Aren't Criminals Every Day." Then I said, "hey you see some good people every day who have no business being locked up don't you?"... "You see it don't you?" I said, "Don't you think there are a lot of children who would love to have mom or dad, or mom and dad back in their lives?" It was one of those moments... I thought he was gonna cry and I was about to cry too. He knew what I was saying was from the heart and it got to him. He said he had just left church and wished he had known we were there, because he would like to stand up in his church and tell people about us and the conversation we had just had. I told him someone would be at the courthouse every Sunday until the end of June. He signed our petition and thanked us for what we were doing, and said he was going to make his church aware of us, and tell them how he feels about this. Then he walked away and a few minutes later he pulled up and asked to take some petitions. It was the best feeling moment I've had in Sheridan. One of them moments when you feel tingling feelings all over.
DHS taking Kids away from Mother while Medical Marijuana using Grandma afraid to speak up:
Testimony By Mary Lou Berry
I had received a message from a desperate grandmother that the DHS was at her daughters house taking her grandchildren away from their mother because mom was caught with a joint. The Grandmother was distraught and didn't know what to do. The children were all crying wanting to stay home with their mom. The Grandmother feared to speak up and stand up for her rights as a grandparent, because she was also using marijuana as well for epilepsy, This should not be happening how could we sit back and do nothing and keep making marijuana a natural growing plant with many uses...illegal...that to this date has caused zero deaths by overdose and is scientifically proven to be less harmful to the body and society than alcohol. We must end prohibition on this plant and end this war on the people.
A True Grass Member Wants a Clean Slate: Testimony by Anonymous True Grass Member I am hoping, praying, and voting that the ACA bill will pass. I have a single misdemeanor marijuana charge for a joint 8 years ago. That little charge has cost me an amazing job and every time I get pulled over or they run my plates, then I get searched and treated less than human. I am not a criminal and I know right from wrong. The many times I have been searched , I have never been caught. Mainly because I don't drive under the influence or have anything illegal in my truck. I just want this charge off my record. It is hard when you know in your heart that you are not a bad person, but to the police, my little record tells them I'm a criminal. So ready for the vote!
Petition Signer Lost a Scholarship due to $4 dollars worth of Pot. Testimony By Avalon I met a young man at the Steel Horse Rally in Fort Smith Arkansas while gathering signatures for the ACA he told me how he played for the Arkansas State band and had a $200,000 scholarship that he lost because he got caught with four dollars worth of pot and he said can't play for the band again for five years.
An Arkansan Mother's Daughter Lost 3 1/2 Years College Credit For Pot. Testimony by Anonymous Member My daughter was in a four-year program at the University she was chosen as the female in West Fork. only two kids got to go into the program from every school in Northwest Arkansas a boy and a girl. It's called upward bound she spent the summers at the University, her last year there she and her friend stupidly smokes in their dorm room and got kicked out. We begged him to give them another chance and they would not, it was a deal breaker. So she can't use any of that so that's 3 1/2 years wasted she can't use it on a resume and all those hours wasted.
