FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                JULY 12, 2004

Medical Marijuana Drive Not Discontinued for 2004

Arkansas Alliance Continues Long Term Effort

CONTACT: Denele Campbell                          479-839-2475/466-2282

FAYETTEVILLE, ARKANSAS – After a weekend deluge of sympathetic calls from patients and families across the state, board members of the Alliance for Reform of Drug Policy in Arkansas (ARDPArk)  have decided to authorize its campaign committee, Arkansas Alliance for Medical Marijuana (AAMM), to continue the medical marijuana petition drive.

According to ARDPArk Executive Director Denele Campbell, board members spent the weekend discussing options and determined that moving forward is the only choice of conscience.

“When we filed this petition last fall, Marijuana Policy Project’s financial commitment to this campaign provided quite a boost to our prospects,” Campbell stated. “When we first learned Friday of MPP’s decision to remove itself from the campaign, our initial response was that we would not be able to continue. Since then, however, we have received commitments of volunteer help and financial contributions.  We believe we have a good chance of obtaining the additional signatures that will be necessary to qualify this initiative. We’re going to take the ball and run with it and see how far we get.”

Marijuana Policy Project and philanthropist Peter B. Lewis provided over $336,000 in support of the Arkansas initiative effort. MPP expected to need significantly more money to wage an expensive TV ad campaign and, faced with the escalating costs of air time, determined it would have to reassess its priorities. Arkansas was the least advanced of the five state campaigns assisted by MPP, with 67,000 names turned in on the petitions. The Secretary of State’s office has up to thirty days to count the signatures. From that date, the Alliance will have thirty days to gather more names if needed.

“We’re going to do everything we can to gather sufficient signatures,” Campbell said. “We’ve been working on this for five years and plan to keep working until we have provided protection for Arkansas patients and their loved ones. Our supporters will be working statewide asking friends, co-workers, and neighbors to sign these petitions. We’re asking for donations so that we can also hire professional canvassers to assist us. Folks can contact us by phone at 479-839-2475 or visit our website at www.ardpark.org ”

“Polls have consistently shown that two-thirds of Arkansas voters support this compassionate, common sense reform,” Campbell said. “We decided that we should do everything possible to place this measure before voters in November and then let the will of the people be heard.”