October 2016 – Family Council

Don’t Be Fooled: Babies Won’t Be Helped with Issues 6 and 7

Oct 28, 2016Jerry CoxMarijuanaMarijuana

The following blog post is by Family Council staff member Deborah Beuerman.

You may have seen the TV ad put out by those who want you to vote for legal marijuana. The ad shows a mother drawing a certain amount of liquid into a syringe and putting it in her baby’s mouth. She says the liquid comes from the marijuana plant and has made the baby’s seizures stop. She says without marijuana her baby would be lifeless in a wheelchair. Really? Why would you put a baby in a wheelchair—especially a lifeless one?

It is true that scientists and doctors are studying the marijuana derivative CBD for controlling two specific types of epileptic seizures in children. And it might turn out to be a good medicine when the studies are finished.

CBD oil appears to be what the mother is giving her baby in the ad, but the marijuana issues on our ballot are not about CBD oil or real medicine that can be measured and given to children. They are about making marijuana available for anyone to smoke, eat in candy or cookies, or drink in sodas.

Any person can claim to have pain or nausea and get a doctor’s permission slip to use marijuana. You can’t measure how much active ingredient you get in a few puffs or in a sprinkle of dried flowers.

If these ballot issues were really about giving liquid medicine to babies, why didn’t they write them that way? In the over 20 pages and 11,000 words in each measure you won’t find CBD or anything about preparing it for babies.

Don’t be fooled. VOTE AGAINST Issues 6 and 7.

Court Removes One Bad Marijuana Measure on Technicality, Leaves Other Bad Measure on Ballot

Oct 27, 2016Jerry CoxMarijuanaMarijuana

The following press release is from Family Council Action Committee.

On Thursday the Arkansas Supreme Court ruled Issue 7, a proposal legalizing “medical marijuana” in Arkansas, did not have enough valid petition signatures to qualify for the November ballot.

Family Council Action Committee Executive Director Jerry Cox issued a statement, saying, “The court did the right thing by disqualifying Issue 7 for failing to gather enough signatures, but the court did not remove Issue 6, the other bad marijuana proposal, from the ballot. Issue 6 is just as bad as Issue 7, if not worse. Issue 6 gives a handful of businesses a powerful monopoly over the marijuana industry. It lets people buy, sell, and smoke marijuana as ‘medicine.’ It opens marijuana stores in Arkansas. Candy and soft-drinks containing marijuana will be sold as ‘medicine.’ Schools won’t be able to stop students, teachers, bus drivers, and others from using marijuana. Employers won’t be able to fire employees who test positive for marijuana. Issue 6 is a devastating proposal. Voters need to vote against Issue 6.”

Family Council Action Committee is a conservative 501(c)(4) organization based in Little Rock, Arkansas.

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84 State Legislators Oppose Marijuana Proposals

Oct 25, 2016Jerry CoxMarijuanaMarijuana

The following press release is from Family Council Action Committee.

Little Rock – Arkansans Against Legalized Marijuana (AALM) today held a news conference in Little Rock and announced a bi-partisan majority of 84 members of the Arkansas General Assembly voicing their opposition to ballot issues 6 & 7.

These 84 members, including the Speaker of the House and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, represent every geographic region of Arkansas.

House Speaker Jeremy Gillam issued the following statement: “Although I understand the need for compassionate care, I believe there is a better way than what is being offered to the voters of Arkansas with Issues 6 and 7. I encourage Arkansans to vote against these issues and work with legislators in the upcoming session to craft a responsible and compassionate solution.”

Senate President Pro Tempore Jonathan Dismang issued the following statement: “Many of us agree that there are medical compounds that can possibly be derived from marijuana, but we need to allow the medical community and the FDA to make those determinations, not those looking to simply profit off of Arkansans. Please vote no on issues 6 & 7.”

Please see full listing of the members below: