Arkansas Supreme Court Rules Against Marijuana Amendment
The following is a press release from Family Council Action Committee.
Little Rock, Ark. — On Monday the Arkansas Supreme Court ruled that the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Amendment of 2024 failed to qualify for the November ballot.
Family Council Action Committee Executive Director Jerry Cox issued a statement, saying, “This is a good decision. The constitution is our state’s most important governing document, and any effort to change it must go through a rigorous and thorough process. The bar should be high, and any effort that doesn’t meet it shouldn’t make the ballot. Today’s Arkansas Supreme Court decision helps protect the integrity of our election process and our constitution.”
Cox called the marijuana measure’s wording confusing and deceptive. “This marijuana amendment is a fatally flawed effort to bring recreational marijuana to Arkansas. It would make more than 30 changes to Arkansas’ constitution. This amendment would give a handful of businesses a monopoly over an unregulated marijuana industry, and it would remove important restrictions that protect children from marijuana marketing. A measure this bad simply has no business being on the ballot or in the constitution.”
Cox praised the various groups and leaders who opposed marijuana amendment Issue 3. “Governor Sanders, Secretary of State John Thurston, and Attorney General Tim Griffin all worked hard to uphold Arkansas law regarding ballot issues. Groups like Stronger Arkansas, Protect Arkansas Children, and Arkansas Farm Bureau opposed Issue 3. Family Council Action Committee coordinated with volunteers in every county across the state to oppose Issue 3 in churches and communities. Without these groups and individuals, the sponsors of Issue 3 might have collected enough valid petition signatures to place the amendment on the ballot. We want to thank everyone who helped stop this fatally flawed measure.”
Cox said Family Council Action Committee will continue opposing marijuana in Arkansas. “Marijuana is a multibillion dollar industry. Since 2022, big businesses have spent millions of dollars trying to legalize marijuana in Arkansas. They have a lot of money at stake in this issue. That is why Family Council Action Committee plans to continue fighting marijuana in Arkansas. Our state simply does not need another drug problem.”
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The Multibillion Dollar Socioeconomic Benefit of Churches and Charities in America
We have written over the years about the socioeconomic impact of churches and charities in America.
Nationwide, researchers estimate religion contributes hundreds of billions of dollars to the U.S. economy. In fact, between churches and charities, religious colleges and universities, and so on, people of faith may provide as much as $1.2 trillion to America.
A 2022 economic impact study on United Methodist churches in rural North Carolina found the churches were responsible for more than $735,000, on average, in economic benefits to their local communities each year.
Most of the benefit comes from the goods, services, and support that these ministries provide, including:
- Community service
- Healthcare services
- Education
- Childcare
- Unemployment programs
- Local economic development
- Recovery programs for addiction and substance abuse
- Disaster relief initiatives
Churches and charities are a valuable resource in every community. We want to help Arkansas’ leaders and policymakers understand what these ministries can do for our state.
That is why Family Council launched the Church Ambassador Network initiative earlier this year. The Church Ambassador Network builds relationships between church leaders and elected leaders regardless of their political leanings. We believe churches and elected officials can work together to address many of the problems our communities face.
If you help lead a church or similar ministry in Arkansas, we would invite you to join the Church Ambassador Network for free today.
Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.