Marijuana Policy Project

The Fayetteville Chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, or NORML, have successfully gathered enough signatures to place a marijuana law on the general election ballot. Under the proposal, the arrest and prosecution of anyone who has less than an ounce of marijuana would be a low priority for police. Eureka Springs Police Chief Earl Hyatt says the law would be in contradiction with state and federal laws concerning possession of marijuana. Under state law, police officers have the option of making an arrest or releasing the person with less than an ounce of marijuana on a citation to appear in court. Students from the University of Arkansas began circulating the petition around July and gathered 156 signatures, a dozen more than needed.