Category: Marijuana

Arkansas State Police Make Major Drug Seizure, Arrest in Pope County

On July 22, Arkansas State Police (ASP) Troopers seized marijuana from out of state during a routine traffic stop on I-40 in Pope County.

Troopers found 24 pounds of “individually packaged illegal marijuana,” a handgun, and 120 marijuana plants. The driver reportedly told law enforcement he was traveling from Tulsa to Tennessee.

Nationwide, many states have legalized marijuana to varying degrees, and federal regulators have moved to ease federal restrictions on the drug. But while policymakers push for more marijuana, law enforcement continues to battle marijuana grown or sold illegally on the black market.

In some cases, legalization has actually emboldened drug cartels, causing marijuana use to skyrocket.

For example, California seized more than 63,000 pounds of illegal marijuana from April to June of this year. 

The U.S. Department of Justice has said organized crime from Mexico and China may be making millions of dollars from marijuana grown in states like California.

Illegal marijuana operations often are believed to be tied to labor trafficking and violent crime — contributing to what some have called “modern day slavery on American soil.” They also often use illegal pesticides that poison users and harm the environment.

Arkansas sits at the heart of  major drug trafficking corridors, and as a result, the Arkansas State Police routinely intercept marijuana from other states that appears to be intended for the black market.

All of this underscores what we have said for years: Marijuana may be many things, but “harmless” simply is not one of them.

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

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Illicit Marijuana Still Plagues Oklahoma Despite Lax Laws

Illicit marijuana tied to organized crime continues to plague Oklahoma despite the state’s lax laws.

Nationwide, marijuana’s supporters have claimed legalization would reduce crime by weakening organized crime, and today marijuana is legal to varying degrees in many states. But evidence shows legalization has actually emboldened drug cartels.

In May, the Oklahoma Attorney General’s Organized Crime Task Force raided two illegal marijuana grow operations with 48,665 illegal marijuana plants and 1,803 pounds of processed marijuana worth over $3 million.

This month, the task force shut down five illegal marijuana grow operations in one series of raids and seized illegal marijuana at two dispensaries and a convenience store in northeast Oklahoma in another series of raids.

Because of Oklahoma’s lax marijuana laws, law enforcement has alleged that 40% of America’s black market marijuana has come from legal grow sites in Oklahoma. Arkansas State Police routinely confiscate marijuana from Oklahoma.

Oklahoma is not the only state dealing with this issue.

The U.S. Department of Justice says Chinese drug cartels may be making millions of dollars from illegal marijuana in states like Maine, New York, and Massachusetts.

California has seized more than $1.2 billion in illegal cannabis since 2022.

Illegal marijuana operations often are believed to be tied to labor trafficking and violent crime — contributing to what some have dubbed “modern day slavery on American soil.”

All of this underscores what we have said for years: Marijuana may be many things, but “harmless” simply is not one of them.

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

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Report Reminds Us Marijuana is Anything But “Harmless”

A recent report from the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) underscores the dangers associated with marijuana use.

Nationwide, many states have legalized marijuana to varying degrees, and the Trump Administration has moved to ease federal restrictions on the drug. But while policymakers push for more marijuana, scientific evidence shows there are serious health concerns surrounding marijuana.

On July 1, the AAMC published a report showing that cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome (CHS) “has increased more than 500% since 2016.”

CHS is a condition that sends many marijuana users to the emergency room with severe nausea, abdominal pain, and uncontrollable vomiting. The AAMC says in some cases it can cause seizures, heart rhythm problems, and kidney failure, and it can even be fatal.

We have written before how high-potency marijuana is linked to psychotic disorders and other health problems.

Modern marijuana can contain 15% to 30% THC — sometimes even 60% THC — compared to just 3% THC in marijuana from the 1960s. The higher the potency, the greater the risk there is to users.

THC — the main psychoactive substance in marijuana — has been tied repeatedly to everything from heart disease and cancer to stroke, mental illness, and birth defects.

In fact, researchers now say marijuana use doubles a person’s risk of death from heart disease.

And instead of decreasing crime, marijuana’s legalization has actually emboldened drug cartels and increased the flow of illegal drugs across America.

All of this underscores what we have said for years: Marijuana may be many things, but “harmless” simply is not one of them.

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

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