Arkansas A.G. Makes it Clear: If You’re Selling Drugs Made From Hemp, You’re Breaking the Law
Last week Arkansas’ Deputy Attorney General Alexandra Benton testified before the House Rules Committee about a federal court ruling that effectively lets the state enforce its laws against dangerous drugs made from hemp.
In 2018, Congress passed the federal Farm Bill legalizing cannabis plants low in THC for use in textiles like hemp rope or cloth. THC is the main psychoactive substance in marijuana, and health experts warn the drug poses serious risks.
Instead of using hemp for textiles, manufacturers have found ways to extract and refine the small amount of THC in the plants. By doing this on a commercial scale, they can produce a lot of THC to infuse into drinks, candies, e-cigarettes, and other products.
As a result, state and federal policymakers have pushed back against these dangerous drugs.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has said that federal law prohibits hemp-derived THC in food products, and states like Massachusetts, South Dakota, and California have prohibited 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 passed it. Unfortunately, Act 629 spent nearly two years tied up in court, but in June the Eighth Circuit issued a decision letting the state enforce this good law.
During her committee testimony last week, Deputy Attorney General Benton highlighted important facts the federal court found regarding Act 629:
- Act 629 prohibiting drugs made from hemp does not violate the federal Farm Bill.
- Act 629 is written very clearly. The law is not vague.
- Just because states may legalize hemp does not mean that states are required to legalize it.
Deputy Attorney General Benton told lawmakers, “We have — and continue to be — on solid ground on this issue.” She noted that since 2023, the A.G.’s office has been vocal about the dangers posed by drugs made from hemp.
She also said point-blank that anyone selling drugs made from hemp is violating state law.
THC has been linked to everything from heart disease and cancer to stroke, mental illness, and birth defects.
The Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission recently tested 51 samples of industrial hemp flowers as part of the commission’s “Operation Clean Leaf” initiative. All 51 samples contained more THC than federal law allows, and authorities said the vast majority of hemp products were sold without proper age verification. Some were even tainted with dangerous pesticides.
Public health data across America has shown drugs like the ones made from hemp have sent kids to the emergency room and prompted parents to call poison control centers.
We appreciate Arkansas’ lawmakers and Attorney General’s office working tirelessly to protect Arkansans from these dangerous drugs. The drugs may be many things, but “harmless” simply is not one of them.
You can watch the Deputy Attorney General’s entire testimony here.
Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.
DOJ Subpoenas Clinics Over Transgender Procedures on Children
Last Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Justice issued a short press release announcing it had issued subpoenas to doctors and medical facilities involved in performing sex-change procedures on minors.
The statement said,
WASHINGTON — Today, the Department of Justice announced that it has sent more than 20 subpoenas to doctors and clinics involved in performing transgender medical procedures on children.
The Department’s investigations include healthcare fraud, false statements, and more.
“Medical professionals and organizations that mutilated children in the service of a warped ideology will be held accountable by this Department of Justice.” — Attorney General Pamela Bondi
Last Wednesday, the Federal Trade Commission also hosted a workshop highlighting the dangers of so-called “gender-affirming care” for children.
Both federal agencies appear to be concerned about the deception that often surrounds sex-change procedures — especially when these procedures are performed on children.
Sex-change procedures, puberty blockers, and cross-sex hormones can leave children permanently scarred, sterilized, and at risk of serious health conditions.
Last fall, medical experts at the organization Do No Harm released a report showing that from 2019 to 2023, dozens of children in Arkansas underwent sex-change surgeries or were prescribed puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones.
Doctors do not know the long-term effects that puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones might have on people. However, files leaked from the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) organization show medical professionals have been fully aware that these procedures can lead to lasting regret and complications — some of which may even be life-threatening.
Since 2021, a major hospital in Sweden has announced that it would no longer give puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones to kids, the U.K. has adopted policies to protect children from puberty blockers, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has added a warning label to puberty blockers after discovering they caused brain swelling in some biological girls.
In a comprehensive study published last year, Finnish researchers found transgender surgeries did not appear to resolve the underlying emotional and mental issues that youth with gender dysphoria faced.
And gender clinics have been shown to rush children and families through the transition process without adequate informed-consent and mental health screenings.
In 2021, Arkansas passed the Save Adolescents From Experimentation (SAFE) Act prohibiting doctors from performing sex-change surgeries on children or giving them puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones.
Unfortunately, a federal judge blocked the state from enforcing the law. However, in June the U.S. Supreme Court issued a 6-3 decision upholding a Tennessee law similar to Arkansas’ SAFE Act, and Attorney General Tim Griffin’s team has argued the ruling underscores that the SAFE Act is constitutional as well.
It’s good to see our state and federal policymakers taking a stand on this issue, and we look forward to a day when children are protected from these dangerous procedures.
Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.