The following press release is from Family Council Action Committee.

On Tuesday and Wednesday officials from the Arkansas Department of Health made statements in opposition to medical marijuana in Arkansas.

Family Council Action Committee Executive Director Jerry Cox issued a statement, saying, “Health Department Director Dr. Nathaniel Smith and State Surgeon General Dr. Greg Bledsoe have both made it clear they oppose the legalization of medical marijuana. They have also made it clear their positions are based on science and the effects marijuana has on the human body. Marijuana smoke carries carcinogens just like tobacco smoke. Marijuana impairs judgment and has been implicated in numerous accidents and deaths. Researchers have linked marijuana-use among adolescents with reductions in IQ and several cognitive problems. And researchers still are not certain marijuana is effective at treating any medical problems. Once you see what scientists have to say about marijuana, it’s easy to understand why someone would be opposed to legalizing it.”

Cox said he hoped Arkansans will pay attention to what state health officials are saying. “The Arkansas Department of Health is not a partisan organization. Their number-one interest is protecting public health. If state health officials do not believe marijuana ought to be billed as ‘medicine,’ the rest of us ought to sit up and take note.”

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

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