Marijuana – Page 34 – Family Council

Pulaski County Judge Voids 27 Arkansas Laws Restricting Medical Marijuana

Jun 15, 2023Jerry CoxMarijuanaMarijuana

On Wednesday, Pulaski County Circuit Judge Morgan “Chip” Welch issued a decision that voids 27 laws the Arkansas Legislature has enacted since 2017 concerning so-called “medical” marijuana in the state.

The ruling came as the result of a lawsuit by Good Day Farms Arkansas and Capital City Medicinals — two members of the “medical” marijuana industry.

In 2016 voters passed the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Amendment legalizing “medical” marijuana in the state. The measure is now Amendment 98 to the Arkansas Constitution.

Section 23 of Amendment 98 lets the Arkansas Legislature make changes or additions to Amendment 98 upon a two-thirds vote of the Arkansas House of Representatives and the Arkansas Senate.

Since then, the legislature has used that authority to enact a number of reasonable restrictions on marijuana.

For example, in 2019 lawmakers passed good measures like S.B. 440 that prohibits marijuana stores from selling marijuana-infused candy and other foods that are likely to appeal to children and S.B. 442 restricting medical marijuana advertisements in much the same way as tobacco advertisements. Wednesday’s ruling nullifies both of these good laws.

Despite Amendment 98’s wording, Judge Welch ruled that changes to Amendment 98 should have been made as further constitutional amendments referred to the people for a vote.

The decision says in part,

The Court, therefore, FURTHER FINDS AND DECLARES the 27 subsequent Acts of the General Assembly to be UNCONSTITUTIONAL and VOID, and that the ORIGINAL TEXT OF AMENDMENT 98 as adopted by the
people REMAINS IN EFFECT.

Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin says his office plans to appeal the case to the Arkansas Supreme Court.

You can read Judge Welch’s ruling here.

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

Marijuana and Pregnancy

Jun 12, 2023John StonestreetMarijuanaMarijuana

Despite advocates’ claims that marijuana use is harmless, another study indicates otherwise. Apparently, the number of hospital visits for pregnant women has almost doubled in Ontario since Canada legalized recreational marijuana in 2018. Of those visits that were marijuana related, the majority were emergency room visits.

According to lead researcher Dr. Daniel Myran, although marijuana-related incidents were only a fraction of overall visits, almost all of them were serious. And according to other research, babies born to marijuana-using mothers are more likely to be born prematurely, have lower birth weights, and be admitted to neonatal care units. Exactly how marijuana harms preborn children will require additional research, but the clear risks are reason enough to recommend that pregnant moms avoid using marijuana altogether.

This is another contradiction to the narrative peddled to us for years. Recreational marijuana use is simply not as safe as we are told it was.

Not the Pot of Gold We Were Sold

Jun 5, 2023John StonestreetMarijuanaMarijuana

Analyzing medical data from 6 million people, researchers in Denmark have found that up to 30% of schizophrenia cases among young men could be linked to marijuana use. Increased potency of marijuana in the global market is a factor, and lawmakers have “decreas[ed] the public’s perception of its harm,” according to the study’s lead author.

The law is a teacher. Legalizing marijuana use essentially teaches constituents that marijuana is safe. Except it isn’t. Legalizing pot was, especially early on, sold as a way of helping sick people. But cannabis is the only substance I can think of approved for medical use and then legalized for recreation.

As far as the cannabis industry is concerned, which is estimated this year to be worth 32 billion dollars, it has never really been about health. As more and more evidence emerges that pot is not as safe as the public was sold, we’ll learn whether it’s possible to put this genie back in its bottle.