Arkansas “Medical” Marijuana Sales Hit New Highs

Marijuana

News outlets report that “medical” marijuana dispensaries in Arkansas sold nearly one and a half tons more marijuana during the first five months of 2025 than during the same time period in 2024.

Data from the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration shows dispensaries are on track to sell record amounts of “medical” marijuana this year. Overall, Arkansans are spending more than $800,000 per day on marijuana, on average.

We said in 2016 that “medical” marijuana would give people an opportunity to use it recreationally — and there is plenty of evidence showing that has been the case.

The truth is all marijuana is harmful — whether it is marketed as “medical” marijuana or “recreational” marijuana.

Marijuana has been tied to a number of deadly heart problems — including heart attack, heart failure, and stroke.

Experts have found heavy marijuana users face higher risks of paranoia, memory loss, schizophrenia, and other serious problems.

Marijuana use during pregnancy also has been shown time and time again to hurt unborn children and newborns.

Nationwide, marijuana products are sending kids to the emergency room.

And instead of decreasing crime, marijuana legalization has actually emboldened drug cartels and increased the flow of illegal marijuana across America over the past decade.

The tax revenue that states receive from marijuana sales does not justify the damage that marijuana causes.

All of this simply 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.

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U.S. Supreme Court Rules Religious Outreach Qualifies as Religious Activity

Religious Freedom

The following is a press release from Alliance Defending Freedom:

Thursday, Jun 5, 2025

The following quote may be attributed to Alliance Defending Freedom Senior Counsel and Vice President of Appellate Advocacy John Bursch regarding a decision Thursday from the U.S. Supreme Court in Catholic Charities Bureau v. Wisconsin Labor & Industry Review Commission in which the court unanimously overturned a Wisconsin Supreme Court ruling that said Catholic Charities was not a religious organization because the way it served the poor and needy was not religious enough. ADF attorneys filed a friend-of-the-court brief on behalf of By the Hand Club for Kids, an Illinois ministry, in support of overturning the Wisconsin court ruling:

“Government has no business second-guessing the way a faith organization lives out its ministry. When the government distinguishes among religions based on theological differences in their provision of services, it unconstitutionally entangles church and state—at the expense of ministries that live out their faith, at least in part, through serving their communities. The U.S. Supreme Court rightly struck down the Wisconsin Supreme Court’s ruling that would have allowed government officials to inevitably favor religious views and activities they are familiar with, while excluding those that are either unfamiliar or disfavored. Religious ministries that aid a diverse range of people outside their congregations are still engaged in religious activity, and we applaud the court for upholding these core First Amendment freedoms unanimously.”

Alliance Defending Freedom is an alliance-building, non-profit legal organization committed to protecting religious freedom, free speech, parental rights, and the sanctity of life.

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Trump Admin Rescinds Biden-Era Abortion Mandate

Abortion, , ,
Above: A screenshot of the Biden Administration’s now-rescinded guidance requiring emergency rooms to perform abortions.

On Tuesday the federal Department of Health and Human Services announced it is rescinding “guidance” the Biden Administration issued in 2022 requiring emergency rooms to perform abortions under the federal Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA).

EMTALA is a decades-old law signed by President Ronald Reagan. It is designed to ensure people are able to receive emergency care even if they are unable to pay.

After the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, President Biden’s Department of Health and Human Services released a letter and guidance telling doctors and hospitals that EMTALA requires them to perform abortions as a “stabilizing treatment” or transfer the woman to another facility for an abortion if the abortion is necessary to protect the life or health of the mother — even if the abortion would be illegal under state law.

Health exceptions for abortion are notoriously vague and can actually permit abortion on demand in many cases. That’s why states like Arkansas limit abortion to situations where the mother’s life is at risk instead of using a broader “health” exception. That’s also part of the reason why the Biden administration’s reinterpretation of EMTALA was a serious problem, prompting lawsuits from pro-life groups. Family Council was able to join amicus briefs in those cases.

Tuesday’s decision by the Trump administration means emergency room doctors won’t be forced to perform abortions or provide abortion referrals. That is a major, pro-life victory.

The federal government has no business trying to overrule state pro-life laws or turn emergency rooms into abortion facilities. Family Council appreciates all of the pro-life leaders who have stood against these bad federal policies, and we appreciate the Trump administration’s decision to rescind President Biden’s flawed “guidance” from 2022.

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

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