Arkansas Children’s Hospital joins a growing list of organizations that have expressed concerns about Issue 4, the amendment to legalize marijuana in Arkansas.

In a statement, Arkansas Children’s Hospital said,

“Preventing injury and illness is at the heart of safeguarding child health. Our first responsibility as parents and caregivers should be to our children—because they rely on us to keep them safe and well. Marijuana policies are no different. We must be careful, thoughtful, and keep our children in mind. Various states have legalized marijuana for recreational use. These changes coincide with a decrease in perceived harmfulness of the drug and an increase in its use among youth. Even with age restrictions, any policy that leads to increased adult use of marijuana is likely to lead to increased adolescent use, despite attempts to restrict sales to underage youth. This is of critical concern because of the potential harmful impact of marijuana exposure on children and adolescents.”


Frederick (Rick) Barr, MD MBA
Executive Vice President
Chief Clinical and Academic Officer
Arkansas Children’s

Arkansas Children’s Hospital’s concerns about Issue 4 echo concerns that other Arkansans have raised about marijuana legalization.

A 2020 study published in JAMA Network Open found that more than 1 in 8 teen drivers reported recently driving after using marijuana, and teens were more than twice as likely to drive after using marijuana than they were to drink and drive.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the CDC report that after alcohol, marijuana is the substance most often associated with impaired driving.

In Colorado traffic fatalities where the driver tested positive for marijuana have increased 138% since the state legalized marijuana in 2013.

The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety estimates that the number of drivers involved in fatal crashes in Washington doubled after the state legalized marijuana.

All of this underscores what we have said for years: Marijuana may be many things, but “harmless” simply is not one of them.

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