Why Were Arkansas’ “Medical” Marijuana Sales So High on 4/20?

Marijuana,

The Arkansas Times recently reported that “Marijuana sales on 4/20, the unofficial cannabis holiday, nearly tripled the daily average for medical marijuana sales in Arkansas this year.”

According to the Arkansas Times, users bought more than $2.1 million worth of “medical” marijuana on April 20. For perspective, the daily average for marijuana sales is $780,000.

But if “medical” marijuana is about treating illnesses and helping sick people — as Arkansans were led to believe when they ratified the state’s medical marijuana amendment in 2016 — then why would “medical” marijuana sales spike on a day dedicated to getting high?

We said in 2016 that “medical” marijuana is simply recreational marijuana masquerading as medicine, and that under the marijuana amendment, people would use marijuana recreationally.

The fact that “medical” marijuana spending was nearly three times above average on 4/20 would seem to prove people are using “medical” marijuana recreationally in Arkansas.

It’s worth pointing out that right now an amendment effort is underway to drastically expand marijuana in Arkansas.

If passed, the 2024 marijuana amendment would give free marijuana cards to immigrants and out-of-state residents who come to Arkansas to use marijuana, and marijuana users would no longer need to show they suffer from a specific medical condition listed in state law.

All of this would seem to further enable recreational marijuana in Arkansas.

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

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The Myth of “Affirmation”: Guest Column

LGBT,

Greater ‘affirmation’ of LGBTQ identities does not lead to improved mental health. 

For years, activists have claimed that greater social acceptance and affirmation of LGBTQ-identifying individuals would lead to better mental health outcomes. Implicit in the claim is the idea that “widespread prejudice against homosexual people causes them to be unhappy or worse, mentally ill.” 

However, according to a soon-to-be-published paper by researcher Amy Hamilton, the science does not support this claim. Research from three different continents—Australia, Europe, and the U.S.—reveals that a more accepting social environment does not bring improvement in psychological distress or suicidal behavior. In fact, it’s the opposite. One study found that younger LGBTQ-identifying people raised in more affirming social environments “were worse … than the older cohort.” 

We’ve been lied to. The “science” was never settled. In fact, the research trend right now is to show just how ideologically corrupted the medical, educational, psychological, and scientific “experts” have become on questions of sex, gender, and identity. And the kids are the victims. 

Copyright 2024 by the Colson Center for Christian Worldview. Reprinted from BreakPoint.org with permission.

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Governor Signs Measure Providing $2M in Grants to Support Pregnancy Centers, Maternal Wellness in Arkansas

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On Tuesday Governor Sanders signed a budget measure providing $2 million to support pregnancy help organizations and maternal and infant wellness in Arkansas.

The funding will provide grants to pregnancy resource centers, maternity homes, adoption agencies, and other organizations that provide material support to women with unplanned pregnancies.

For years, states across America have taken steps to provide pregnancy resource centers with state and federal tax money to support the services they provide.

This funding helps serve families at the local level without creating new government programs.

In 2022 Family Council worked with the legislature and the governor to secure $1 million for pregnancy centers. This funding provided grants to more than 20 pregnancy help organizations.

Last year we worked with lawmakers to renew this funding, and since then more than two dozen good organizations across the state have applied for this money and used it to give women and families real assistance when faced with an unplanned pregnancy.

S.B. 64 makes improvements to the grant program. It increases state funding from $1 million per year to $2 million. This puts Arkansas’ funding on parr with funding in other states.

The law also clarifies that “pregnancy help organizations” include nonprofit organizations that promote infant and maternal wellness and reduce infant and maternal mortality by:

  • Providing nutritional information and/or nutritional counseling;
  • Providing prenatal vitamins;
  • Providing a list of prenatal medical care options;
  • Providing social, emotional, and/or material support; or
  • Providing referrals for WIC and community-based nutritional services, including but not limited to food banks, food pantries, and food distribution centers.

The measure includes language preventing state funds from going to abortionists and their affiliates.

This legislation is something Arkansans can be proud of. Family Council is grateful to the General Assembly for passing S.B. 64, and we appreciate Governor Sanders signing it into law. We look forward to seeing the state implement the expanded grant program in the coming fiscal year.

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