Marijuana PAC Gives Money to Arkansas Candidates

Marijuana,

Reports filed with the Arkansas Secretary of State’s Office show the pro-marijuana political action committee Grow has given $6,000 this year to candidates for the Arkansas Legislature ahead of the May Primary Elections.

As we have written before, Grow represents the Arkansas Cannabis Industry Association, a trade association for medical marijuana in Arkansas.

So far this year Grow has donated to the following campaigns:

  • $500 to Rep. Fred Love for State Senate District 31 (See Report)
  • $500 to Rep. Jim Dotson for State Senate District 34 (See Report)
  • $500 to Sen. Jonathan Dismang for State Senate District 18 (See Report)
  • $500 to Sen. Terry Rice for State Senate District 5 (See Report)
  • $1,000 to Rep. Stephen Magie for State House District 56 (See Report)
  • $250 to Rep. Ashley Hudson for State House District 32 (See Report)
  • $1,000 to Sen. Bill Sample for State Senate District 6 (See Report)
  • $500 to Rep. David Hillman for State House District 61 (See Report)
  • $250 to Rep. Andrew Collins for State House District 73 (See Report)
  • $1,000 to Sen. Linda Chesterfield for State Senate District 30 (See Report)

As we have noted before, much of the money that Grow donates to candidates in Arkansas appears to come from marijuana businesses headquartered out-of-state.

Marijuana is a multimillion dollar business, and the corporations behind marijuana have a lot of money at their disposal.

As the 2022 election season progresses, voters need to be prepared for the marijuana industry to work hard to push its agenda in Arkansas.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.

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How Will This Marijuana PAC Try To Impact Arkansas’ Elections In 2022?

Elections, Marijuana,

Last summer the Arkansas Cannabis Industry Association quietly launched a political action committee in Arkansas — Grow PAC.

The Arkansas Cannabis Industry Association is a trade association for medical marijuana in Arkansas.

Political action committees (PACs) typically work to elect or defeat candidates for public office. PACs often do that by donating to candidates’ campaigns, by running their own independent campaigns for or against candidates, or by issuing public endorsements for certain candidates.

According to paperwork filed with the State of Arkansas, Grow PAC’s officers are employed by Natural State Medicinals, Abaca, and GrowBrite.

Natural State Medicinals is a marijuana cultivator in Arkansas. Abaca describes itself as a cannabis banking and financial platform. GrowBrite appears to be a compliance and risk management specialist that works with marijuana cultivators and dispensaries.

All of this raises a question: How will Grow PAC try to impact Arkansas’ elections in 2022?

According to its website, Grow PAC’s purpose is to support political candidates who “will work to create and maintain a favorable political climate for the cannabis industry” in Arkansas.

The website also indicates that the PAC will provide financial support for candidates who support Arkansas’ marijuana industry.

As the state enters another election season, Arkansans need to be prepared for the marijuana industry to work hard to elect candidates who support marijuana.

Marijuana is a multimillion dollar business, and corporations that buy, sell, and grow marijuana have a lot of money that they can spend campaigning for candidates who align with their values.

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Arkansas Ranked Fourth in Election Integrity: Heritage Foundation Report

Elections

Recently the Heritage Foundation released its Election Integrity Scorecard ranking Arkansas fourth in the nation in election integrity.

The scorecard evaluated state laws and practices surrounding elections. It also ranked all 50 states based on how well they protect the security and integrity of the election process.

Overall, Arkansas scored 78 out of 100 possible points on the scorecard.

The scorecard identified a few areas where Arkansas’ election laws could be improved. However, it seems Arkansas has excellent safeguards in place to ensure that our elections are fair and honest.

You Can Read Heritage Foundation’s Evaluation of Arkansas’ Election Laws Here.

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