Marijuana – Page 49 – Family Council

Recreational Marijuana Supporters Campaign Against Marijuana Issue 4

Oct 12, 2022Jerry CoxMarijuanaMarijuana

The following is a press release from Family Council Action Committee.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, October 12, 2022

Little Rock — On Wednesday marijuana advocate Melissa Fults hosted a press conference opposing marijuana Issue 4 at the Arkansas Capitol Building. Fults is a firm supporter of medical and recreational marijuana in Arkansas, but said she strongly opposes Issue 4.

In a statement, Fults said, “Issue 4 lets a greedy monopoly control marijuana in Arkansas. The way this measure distributes cultivator and dispensary licenses, the entire cannabis industry could be owned by as few as four to eight people who may not even live in Arkansas. That isn’t right.”

Fults pointed out that Issue 4 fails to expunge criminal records for drug offenders. “Issue 4 doesn’t expunge marijuana convictions. Growers will be making millions of dollars, and it will be legal for consumers to use marijuana, but the people whose lives have been ruined by marijuana convictions will continue to have their lives ruined by that criminal record.”

Fults said Issue 4 affects much more than recreational marijuana. “Under Issue 4, the same monopoly that controls marijuana cultivation would control hemp and CBD production as well. Issue 4’s definition of cannabis fails to exclude industrial hemp and CBD oil. This would take away hemp farmers’ licenses and put CBD stores out of business. Other states excluded hemp from their recreational cannabis laws, but Issue 4 fails to do that.”

Fults was joined by Family Council Action Committee Executive Director Jerry Cox, a longtime marijuana opponent. Cox released a statement, saying, “I’m pleased to be part of a bipartisan effort against marijuana amendment Issue 4. This amendment was cooked up by industry insiders from out of state. It writes a marijuana monopoly into our constitution. Issue 4 is the kind of swamp politics that Arkansans are sick of. Voters need to understand that even if you support marijuana legalization, Issue 4 isn’t the way to go.”

Family Council Action Committee is a conservative 501(c)(4) public policy organization based in Little Rock with a mission of promoting, protecting, and strengthening traditional family values in the political arena.

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Updated: LRPD Sends Cease and Desist Letter to Group Running TV Ads for Marijuana Issue 4

Oct 12, 2022Jerry CoxMarijuanaMarijuana

Above: A screenshot of a pro-marijuana advertisement. According to a cease and desist letter from the Little Rock City Attorney’s Office, the ad inappropriately used video footage of Little Rock Police Department officers.

On Tuesday Family Council obtains a copy of a cease and desist letter the Little Rock’s City Attorney sent to Responsible Growth Arkansas on behalf of the Little Rock Policy Department.

The letter asks Responsible Growth Arkansas to immediately stop using TV advertisements for marijuana Issue 4 that include footage of LRPD officers.

Responsible Growth Arkansas is currently conducting a statewide campaign to legalize marijuana in Arkansas via Issue 4 that will appear on the ballot this November.

The cease and desist letter ordering the group to stop using video footage of LRPD officers says in part,

Unfortunately, at least one of the advertisements has portions which show Little Rock police officers. Neither the City, nor the Little Rock Police Department has endorsed this effort. The film footage being used is from training films that were created to attract persons to join the police force. The Department has received inquiries as to why it is supporting this constitutional amendment when, in fact, it is not.

As of Tuesday afternoon, the advertisement is still on Responsible Growth Arkansas’ website. The ad apparently used footage from LRPD promotional videos on YouTube without the LRPD’s permission.

TV ads like this one might lead voters to believe that police departments in Arkansas support marijuana Issue 4, but to our knowledge no law enforcement agencies are backing the measure.

As we have said in the past, Issue 4 makes sweeping changes to Arkansas’ constitution and state laws.

It repeals, replaces, and rewrites several parts of Arkansas’ medical marijuana amendment that voters passed in 2016. It adds new language to other parts of the Arkansas Constitution, and it drastically expands marijuana in every community in Arkansas.

Issue 4 eliminates all taxes on medical marijuana, and it sets a very low tax rate on retail marijuana sales. State and local officials won’t be able to raise taxes on marijuana. City councils and quorum courts won’t be able to regulate marijuana use.

It is unclear just how far-reaching some of Issue 4’s language may be.

You can read the cease and desist letter from the LRPD here.

Updated Wednesday, October 12, at 2:05 PM:

According to Arkansas Advocate, Responsible Growth Arkansas responded to the City of Little Rock’s cease and desist on Friday, October 7, declining to withdraw the pro-marijuana ads.

A letter from Responsible Growth Arkansas’ attorney argues that the ads featuring LRPD officers comply with state law, writing, “we see no legal basis for the demand that RGA [Responsible Growth Arkansas] cease and desist from further use of this video.”