Time for stalling done

I was blown away when I read the attorney general’s reasoning for her rejection of the marijuana ballot proposal for 2018. While the anti-marijuana stance of the attorney general’s office isn’t new, its recent statement on the plant-count issue is preposterous.

At this point in time it seems the attorney general’s office is simply shooting the Arkansas voter in the fiscal foot. Money from recreational marijuana users will continue to go into the pockets of criminals instead of our state’s small-business owners, schools, scholarship funds and law enforcement.

Arkansas voters have shown on the medical marijuana vote in 2016 that they are ready to resolve this issue. It is time that the Legislature and attorney general’s office gave the voters that chance. I feel the Legislature has done its duty here, and while I agree the attorney general’s office has a responsibility to ensure the law is enforceable, its stonewalling for silly reasons such as the mature plant count is a real shame.

Colorado voters okayed the sale and regulation of recreational marijuana and it appears none of the negative statistics touted by naysayers have come to fruition. Colorado injected $200 million from marijuana tax revenue last year alone; imagine what we could do for our state with a similar number.

It’s time the voters let the attorney general’s office know they want to vote on marijuana legalization, and the time for stalling is passed. Regardless of your feelings on the issue, I urge my fellow Arkansans to let the attorney general’s office know you are ready to vote.

STEVEN VANWINKLE

Benton