Last summer the Arkansas Cannabis Industry Association quietly launched a political action committee in Arkansas — Grow PAC.

The Arkansas Cannabis Industry Association is a trade association for medical marijuana in Arkansas.

Political action committees (PACs) typically work to elect or defeat candidates for public office. PACs often do that by donating to candidates’ campaigns, by running their own independent campaigns for or against candidates, or by issuing public endorsements for certain candidates.

According to paperwork filed with the State of Arkansas, Grow PAC’s officers are employed by Natural State Medicinals, Abaca, and GrowBrite.

Natural State Medicinals is a marijuana cultivator in Arkansas. Abaca describes itself as a cannabis banking and financial platform. GrowBrite appears to be a compliance and risk management specialist that works with marijuana cultivators and dispensaries.

All of this raises a question: How will Grow PAC try to impact Arkansas’ elections in 2022?

According to its website, Grow PAC’s purpose is to support political candidates who “will work to create and maintain a favorable political climate for the cannabis industry” in Arkansas.

The website also indicates that the PAC will provide financial support for candidates who support Arkansas’ marijuana industry.

As the state enters another election season, Arkansans need to be prepared for the marijuana industry to work hard to elect candidates who support marijuana.

Marijuana is a multimillion dollar business, and corporations that buy, sell, and grow marijuana have a lot of money that they can spend campaigning for candidates who align with their values.