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Montel Williams For Medical Marijuana In Arkansas |
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W/Z -
Montel Williams
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 22 October 2012 - American talk-show host Montel Williams is visiting Arkansas to campaign in favor of a ballot measure to legalize medical marijuana.
Williams plans an appearance Thursday at the Capitol alongside members of Arkansans for Compassionate Care, which gathered signatures to place the measure on the November ballot.
Williams suffers from multiple sclerosis and says he uses medical marijuana to treat symptoms of his condition.
The measure would allow patients with qualifying conditions to buy marijuana from nonprofit dispensaries with a doctor's recommendation. If approved, Arkansas would become the first Southern state to legalize medical marijuana.
Seventeen states and the District of Columbia have legalized it in some
fashion. Massachusetts voters are also expected to vote on the issue
this fall. Williams said he thinks having the proposal on the ballot in a
state like Arkansas gives voters who haven’t thought much about medical
marijuana to take a closer look at the idea.
“I don’t think the
southern states are any different. We’re just afraid to talk about it,”
Williams said. “We have people who control our thought processes by
shaming us into believing that there’s some moral reason you shouldn’t
be compassionate.” The Arkansas Supreme Court upheld the proposal last
month after a coalition of conservative groups asked the court to block
the proposal from the ballot.
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