Arkansas Legislature can amend voter-approved constitutional amendments, Supreme Court rules [View all]

Arkansas lawmakers have the power to change constitutional amendments approved by voters, the state Supreme Court ruled Thursday.

The unanimous opinion overturns a 74-year-old decision that said the Legislature could not amend or repeal a citizen-initiated amendment to the state constitution.

The court’s decision also reverses a 2023 Pulaski County Circuit Court ruling that struck down more than two dozen changes that lawmakers had made to Amendment 98, the 2016 citizen-led measure that legalized medical marijuana in Arkansas with some restrictions. Since 2016, the Legislature has passed laws further restricting the medical marijuana industry, including outlawing the sale of combustible marijuana, requiring child-proof packaging, limiting the THC content of edibles and prohibiting advertising.

Two medical marijuana license holders — Good Day Farms and Capital City Medicinals — challenged the Legislature’s authority to pass restrictive laws that amended the amendment.




https://arkansasadvocate.com/2025/12/11/arkansas-legislature-can-amend-voter-approved-constitutional-amendments-supreme-court-rules/