Commission Announces Locations for Marijuana Farms in Arkansas

Yesterday the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Commission announced the five companies who will be authorized to grow marijuana in Arkansas.

The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette writes,

The winning bidders are:

-Natural State Medicinals Cultivation of Jefferson County

-Bold Team LLC (Woodruff County)

-Natural State Wellness Enterprises (Jefferson and Jackson counties)

-Osage Creek Cultivation (Carroll County)

-Delta Medical Cannabis Company Inc. (Jackson County)

Each group can only operate one growing center, so Natural State Wellness Enterprises must chose between its two winning proposals.

The Arkansas Constitution lets cities and counties vote to prohibit marijuana farms and stores by circulating petitions to place the issue on the ballot.

If you want to learn more about how your county can prohibit marijuana farms and stores, contact our office at (501) 375-7000.

Marijuana Activists Lobby Legislators for Marijuana in Schools

Little Rock, Ark. – On Tuesday, activists promoting marijuana gathered at the Arkansas Capitol to lobby for changes to the state’s medical marijuana amendment. Marijuana lobbyists, such as the Drug Policy Education Group, want to make it easier for Arkansans to qualify to use marijuana. In a more egregious proposal, they have asked legislators to pass a law to allow students to bring marijuana to school.

Family Council President Jerry Cox released a statement saying, “It is shocking to hear that they want kids to be able to use marijuana at school.  As a former public school teacher, I cannot imagine students using marijuana at school.  Our schools are facing enough challenges without grownups pushing for kids to be able to use marijuana at school.  Kids already can’t tell marijuana laced cookies or candies from normal ones.  Bring those to school and see how many grade school kids end up high or in the emergency room like the students in Colorado and other states. Frankly, this is an irresponsible request that could harm our children who are in school.”

Cox said the group also wants to make it easier for Arkansans to use marijuana. “Anyone who is paying attention knows that these people are not going to rest until Arkansas has full-blown recreational marijuana.  This has always been their mission.  Already, anyone with pain or nausea can qualify to use medical marijuana.  Adding more conditions to the 18 that are already legal means that almost everyone, even the healthiest among us, can qualify to smoke marijuana.”

Cox also criticized the push to lower taxes on the so-called medical marijuana program. “The State of Arkansas is already subsidizing this so-called medical marijuana program.  No one knows if it will ever be self-supporting.  Yet, marijuana proponents want their taxes lowered even more.  It is bad enough that the 47% of Arkansans who voted against medical marijuana have to deal with it being legal, now they’re expected to pay for it with their tax dollars.”

Cox said his group plans to continue fighting against efforts to expand marijuana in Arkansas.

Family Council is a conservative education and research organization based in Little Rock.

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A.G. Rejects Recreational Marijuana (Again)

On Wednesday Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge rejected yet another proposal to legalize recreational marijuana.

The measure would have let adults and companies grow, buy, sell, and use marijuana for any reason.

The A.G.’s office rejected it, citing ambiguities in the measure’s text along with similarities to past marijuana proposals her office rejected.

Attorney General Rutledge rejected at least 17 similar measures last year. This is the second recreational marijuana proposal her office has rejected since January 2.

As we have said before, marijuana’s proponents aren’t content with “medical marijuana.” The endgame is — and always has been — full legalization.

You can read the A.G.’s entire opinion here.