LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas (AP) — The Arkansas Supreme Court has upheld a proposed ballot measure that, if successful, would make the state the first in the southern U.S. to legalize medical marijuana.
Justices on Thursday rejected a challenge by a coalition of conservative groups who wanted to block the measure from a November vote.
The measure would allow patients with qualifying conditions to buy marijuana from nonprofit dispensaries with a doctor's recommendation.
The proposal acknowledges that marijuana is still illegal under federal law, but opponents argue that it doesn't adequately explain that users could face federal prosecution.
Seventeen states and the District of Columbia have legalized marijuana in some fashion.
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