Senate Committee Passes Good Bill Prohibiting Drugs Made From Hemp

On Tuesday the Senate Agriculture Committee passed a good bill prohibiting dangerous drugs like THC made from hemp.

THC is the main psychoactive drug found in marijuana.

In 2018, Congress passed the federal Agriculture Improvement Act legalizing industrial hemp — or cannabis — that is low in THC. The goal was to make it possible for farmers to grow cannabis plants for use in textiles like rope or cloth.

But manufacturers have found ways to extract and refine the little bit of THC in industrial hemp. Doing this on a commercial scale means they can produce a lot of THC to infuse into drinks, candies, e-cigarettes, and other products.

Many state and federal policymakers have pushed back against these dangerous drugs.

For example, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has said that federal law prohibits the addition of hemp-derived THC in food products.

The Massachusetts Department of Health has prohibited the sale of food or drinks containing THC made from hemp.

South Dakota recently passed a law prohibiting the sale of products containing THC made from hemp.

And California has issued executive rules prohibiting food and drinks that contain THC made from hemp.

In 2023, Arkansas passed Act 629 by Sen. Tyler Dees (R – Siloam Springs) and Rep. Jimmy Gazaway (R – Paragould) to prohibit THC made from industrial hemp.

Family Council supported that good law, and the legislature voted to pass it.

However, members of the hemp industry filed a lawsuit against Act 629, and the law has been tied up in federal court ever since.

In March, Sen. Dees and Rep. Gazaway filed S.B. 533 to address the issues raised in the lawsuit over Act 629.

S.B. 533 is a good bill that would help prohibit intoxicating hemp products that contain THC and other drugs in Arkansas.

The bill effectively stops THC and other drugs made from hemp from being put into food or drinks sold in the state.

It also contains provisions to ensure other hemp products — like CBD oil or cosmetics — do not contain dangerous drugs or other contaminants.

On Tuesday, the Senate Agriculture Committee passed S.B. 533 to prohibit drugs made from hemp.

This good bill now goes to the entire Arkansas Senate for consideration.

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