Federal Government Could Start Prosecuting Medical Marijuana Farms, Stores, Users

Marijuana

In recent years several states — including Arkansas — have moved to legalize marijuana for one reason or another. However, in spite of these state laws, marijuana is still 100% illegal to grow, buy, sell, or use under federal law.

The Obama Administration opted several years ago not to prosecute people growing or using marijuana in compliance with state laws. As a result, states have been able to legalize “medical” and recreational marijuana with few repercussions, and marijuana businesses and users have not faced prosecution.

However, that may be about to change.

According to news reports, the federal Department of Justice is set to let prosecutors decide how aggressively to prosecute marijuana in states like California, Colorado, Arkansas, and elsewhere.

That means medical marijuana farms, stores, and users in Arkansas could face criminal prosecution, if our U.S. Attorneys decide to enforce the nation’s marijuana laws.

Family Council predicted this possibility back in 2012:

If and when [Obama Administration] Attorney General Eric Holder is succeeded by someone else, that Attorney General could direct the U.S. Attorneys to prosecute any and every person using marijuana, regardless of their circumstances. Why? Because under federal law it is blatantly illegal to grow, possess, transport, sell, or use marijuana for any reason. Period.

This is not something federal law is ambiguous or silent about. Congress has spelled out in black and white that marijuana is 100% illegal.

If people want to legalize marijuana, then they should take that up with Congress, and they should not be surprised to hear federal prosecutors might actually start following and enforcing federal law. It really is as simple as that.

READ MORE

Dwight D. Eisenhower Opened His Presidency With a Prayer

Religious Freedom, Words from Our Presidents, ,

On January 20, 1953, Dwight D. Eisenhower was sworn in as President of the United States.

President Eisenhower opened his inaugural address with a short prayer in which he asked God for wisdom and divine blessing, saying,

Give us, we pray, the power to discern clearly right from wrong and allow all our words and actions to be governed thereby and by the laws of this land.

Especially we pray that our concern shall be for all the people, regardless of station, race or calling. May cooperation be permitted and be the mutual aim of those who…hold to differing political faiths, so that all may work for the good of our beloved country and Thy glory.

You can watch President Eisenhower’s inaugural prayer below.

READ MORE

Atheist Group Demands AR Governor Stop Sharing Bible Verses

Religious Freedom, , ,

Last week the atheist Freedom From Religion Foundation based in Wisconsin sent a letter to Governor Asa Hutchinson demanding he stop sharing scripture verses via social media.

The letter reads in part,

We understand that every Sunday, you post or tweet an image with a bible verse from your official, government Facebook page and Twitter account.

But it is not for the government in our secular republic to promote one religious book over others or to promote religion over nonreligion. Doing so violates the Establishment Clause of the Constitution.

We’ve written before about similar efforts to purge religious references from public life in Arkansas.

Here’s the bottom line:

By most accounts, the Bible is the single most widely-read book in the history of human civilization.

In Europe and America, public speakers, writers, and elected officials have quoted it routinely for centuries.

The President of the United States typically takes the Oath of Office on a Bible.

Elected officials often share well-known, popular, or inspirational quotes via their official social media accounts.

Given all of this, why shouldn’t an elected official be able to post a Bible verse on Facebook or Twitter?

READ MORE