A Growing Problem in the U.S.: Illegal Marijuana Farms With Possible Ties to China, CCP

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Illegal marijuana farms with ties to organized crime in America and Asia continue to be a problem in the U.S.

News outlets have reported repeatedly how legalization of marijuana has actually fueled black market operations rather than reducing them — emboldening drug cartels that operate industrial scale marijuana cultivation sites. Some of these marijuana operations are tied to labor trafficking and violent crime.

A recent report by Fox Business highlights national security concerns that some of these illegal marijuana farms may actually have ties to the Chinese Communist Party.

During the Fox Business interview, California’s Siskiyou County Sheriff Jeremiah LaRue called legalization “a total failure in California,” saying the state has been inundated with black market marijuana.

This is an ongoing problem — and it seems to be getting worse. A CBS News segment last year highlighted how Chinese investment is driving illegal marijuana production across the U.S., and CBN reported last October that Chinese investors with “suitcases full of cash” are buying U.S. farmland to grow black market marijuana.

These reports come as a proposed marijuana amendment is vying for the 2024 ballot in Arkansas — raising serious questions about what could happen in Arkansas if the state goes the same route as California, Oklahoma, Oregon, and others.

Watch the Fox Business report below to learn more.

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Governor Outlines Maternal Health Plan

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Last week Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders released a statement and signed an executive order outlining a step-by-step plan for improving maternal health in Arkansas.

The plan includes expanded maternal healthcare access in Arkansas, increasing the percentage of women who access prenatal care, and creating a pilot program for improving maternal health in under-served counties.

It’s worth noting that Arkansas provides grant funding to pregnancy health organizations that help fulfill some of the governor’s maternal wellness goals.

As we have written before, many pregnancy resource centers provide everything from ultrasounds and pregnancy tests to prenatal and postnatal resources, medical referrals, and more — typically free of charge.

Last year Gov. Sanders signed Act 622 authorizing $1 million in state-funded grants for pregnancy resource centers, maternity homes, adoption agencies, and social services agencies that provide material support to women with unplanned pregnancies.

To date the state has awarded nearly $500,000 to more than two dozen different pregnancy resource centers. The rest of the $1 million in grant funding is expected to be distributed between now and June 30.

Family Council was pleased to support passage of Act 622 last year, and we plan to work for passage of another appropriation measure at the Arkansas Legislature next month.

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

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Women’s Professional Golf League Changes Policy, Clarifies Golfers Must Be Female

Transgender,

On Friday the professional golf league NXXT Golf announced policy changes saying that only biological females would be eligible to participate in the NXXT Women’s Pro Tour.

The announcement comes a few weeks after golfer Hailey Davidson — a biological male who identifies as female — took first place in the NXXT Women’s Classic in Florida. The tournament is a qualifier for the LPGA Tour.

In a statement on its website, NXXT Golf said on Friday,

NXXT Golf, with a steadfast dedication to competitive fairness and enhancing opportunities for female athletes, today announces a significant update to the eligibility policy for the NXXT Women’s Pro Tour.

Effective immediately, competitors must be a biological female at birth to participate. This decision underscores the organization’s commitment to maintaining the integrity of women’s professional golf and ensuring fair competition.

NXXT GOLF CEO Stuart McKinnon expressed, “As we navigate through the evolving landscape of sports, it is crucial to uphold the competitive integrity that is the cornerstone of women’s sports. Our revised policy is a reflection of our unwavering commitment to celebrating and protecting the achievements and opportunities of female athletes. Protected categories are a fundamental aspect of sports at all levels, and it is essential for our Tour to uphold these categories for biological females, ensuring a level playing field.”

This policy update is the result of comprehensive research, thoughtful deliberation, and extensive consultations with a broad spectrum of stakeholders in the sports community. McKinnon added, “NXXT Golf is honored to lead in promoting and advancing women’s golf, providing a platform that not only highlights the exceptional talent of women golfers worldwide but also ensures the competition remains equitable for all of our players.”

NXXT Golf is the latest sports league to clarify its eligibility policies to preserve women’s athletics.

In recent female cyclists, swimmers, powerlifters, sprinters, and others have seen their sports radically changed by biological males who identify and compete as women.

Letting males compete in women’s sports reverses 50 years of advancements for women and effectively erases women’s and girls’ athletics.

It hampers girls’ abilities to compete for athletic scholarships, and it hurts their professional opportunities as adults. In some sports, it can even be dangerous.

That is part of the reason states like Arkansas, Texas, West Virginia, and Ohio have enacted laws that uphold fairness in women’s sports.

In 2021 Arkansas also passed Act 461 of 2021 by Sen. Missy Irvin (R — Mountain View) and Rep. Sonia Barker (R — Smackover) protecting fairness in women’s sports at school by preventing male student athletes from competing against girls in women’s athletics. This is a good law, and it is in full effect in Arkansas.

Interestingly, public opinion is shifting on this issue, with more Americans saying it’s morally wrong to change genders and that athletes ought to compete according to their biological sex rather than their gender identity.

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

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