Arkansas Senate Fails to Pass Bill Banning Marijuana Edibles

Legislature, Marijuana, ,

This week a good bill that prohibits the manufacture or sale of marijuana “edibles”—food or drink infused with marijuana—failed to pass the Arkansas Senate.

The Arkansas Medical Marijuana Amendment currently lets companies manufacture and sell foods—like candy and cookies—or drinks infused with marijuana. These marijuana edibles often contain extremely concentrated levels of marijuana and are routinely sending people in other states to emergency rooms.

S.B. 333 lets medical marijuana users and caregivers mix marijuana with food or drink at home, but it prevents companies from manufacturing or selling marijuana edibles in Arkansas. It’s a good, commonsense bill that protects people from dangerous marijuana products.

However, the bill failed to clear the Arkansas Senate. The bill needed twenty-four votes to pass. It received fifteen.

Here are the senators who voted for S.B. 333:

  • Sen. Cecile Bledsoe (R-Rogers)
  • Sen. Eddie Cheatham (D-Crossett)
  • Sen. Linda Collins-Smith (R-Pocahontas)
  • Sen. John Cooper (R-Jonesboro)
  • Sen. Trent Garner (R-El Dorado)
  • Sen. Bart Hester (R-Cave Springs)
  • Sen. Missy Irvin (R-Mountain View)
  • Sen. Bryan King (R-Green Forest)
  • Sen. Bruce Maloch (D-Magnolia)
  • Sen. Jason Rapert (R-Conway)
  • Sen. Terry Rice (R-Waldron)
  • Sen. David Sanders (R-Little Rock)
  • Sen. Gary Stubblefield (R-Branch)
  • Sen. Larry Teague (D-Nashville)
  • Sen. Eddie Joe Williams (R-Cabot)

Here are the senators who voted against S.B. 333:

  • Sen. Will Bond (D-Little Rock)
  • Sen. Linda Chesterfield (D-Little Rock)
  • Sen. Alan Clark (R-Lonsdale)
  • Sen. Joyce Elliot (D-Little Rock)
  • Sen. Jake Files (R-Fort Smith)
  • Sen. Stephanie Flowers (D-Pine Bluff)
  • Sen. Jimmy Hickey (R-Texarkana)
  • Sen. Jeremy Hutchinson (R-Little Rock)
  • Sen. Keith Ingram (D-West Memphis)
  • Sen. Uvalde Lindsey (D-Fayetteville)
  • Sen. David Wallace (R-Leachville)

Here are the senators who did not vote on S.B. 333:

  • Sen. Ron Caldwell (R-Wynne)
  • Sen. Jonathan Dismang (R-Beebe)
  • Sen. Lance Eads (R-Springdale)
  • Sen. Jane English (R-North Little Rock)
  • Sen. Scott Flippo (R-Bull Shoals)
  • Sen. Jim Hendren (R-Gravette)
  • Sen. Blake Johnson (R-Corning)
  • Sen. Bill Sample (R-Hot Springs)
  • Sen. Greg Standridge (R-Russellville)

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Good Bill Banning Marijuana-Smoking Fails to Clear Senate

Legislature, Marijuana, ,

This week a good bill that prohibits “medical marijuana” users from smoking marijuana failed to clear the Arkansas Senate.

The Arkansas Medical Marijuana Amendment currently lets practically anyone qualify to smoke marijuana. Even children are allowed to smoke it.

Smoking is a recreational activity that is almost universally recognized as unhealthy.

That’s why S.B. 357 by Sen. Jason Rapert (R-Conway) and Rep. Robin Lundstrum (R-Elm Springs) prohibits marijuana smoking; other forms of medical marijuana use—such as marijuana oils, tinctures, and vaporizers—would remain legal, but not smoking.

This week S.B. 357 failed to pass the Arkansas Senate. The bill needed twenty-four votes to pass; it received only ten.

Here are the senators who voted for S.B. 357:

  • Sen. Ron Caldwell (R-Wynne)
  • Sen. Linda Collins-Smith (R-Pocahontas)
  • Sen. John Cooper (R-Jonesboro)
  • Sen. Bart Hester (R-Cave Springs)
  • Sen. Missy Irvin (R-Mountain View)
  • Sen. Jason Rapert (R-Conway)
  • Sen. Bill Sample (R-Hot Springs)
  • Sen. David Sanders (R-Little Rock)
  • Sen. Gary Stubblefield (R-Branch)
  • Sen. Eddie Joe Williams (R-Cabot)

Here are the senators who voted against S.B. 357:

  • Sen. Will Bond (D-Little Rock)
  • Sen. Alan Clark (R-Lonsdale)
  • Sen. Joyce Elliot (D-Little Rock)
  • Sen. Jane English (R-North Little Rock)
  • Sen. Jake Files (R-Fort Smith)
  • Sen. Stephanie Flowers (D-Pine Bluff)
  • Sen. Trent Garner (R-El Dorado)
  • Sen. Jim Hendren (R-Gravette)
  • Sen. Jimmy Hickey (R-Texarkana)
  • Sen. Jeremy Hutchinson (R-Little Rock)
  • Sen. Keith Ingram (D-West Memphis)
  • Sen. Uvalde Lindsey (D-Fayetteville)
  • Sen. Bruce Maloch (D-Magnolia)
  • Sen. Terry Rice (R-Waldron)
  • Sen. David Wallace (R-Leachville)

Here are the senators who did not vote on S.B. 357:

  • Sen. Eddie Cheatham (D-Crossett)
  • Sen. Linda Chesterfield (D-Little Rock)
  • Sen. Jonathan Dismang (R-Beebe)
  • Sen. Lance Eads (R-Springdale)
  • Sen. Scott Flippo (R-Bull Shoals)
  • Sen. Blake Johnson (R-Corning)
  • Sen. Bryan King (R-Green Forest)
  • Sen. Greg Standridge (R-Russellville)
  • Sen. Larry Teague (D-Nashville)

Sen. Cecile Bledsoe (R-Rogers) was not able to vote due to an excused absence from the Arkansas Senate. However, she has assured us she supports S.B. 357.

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Two Home School-Related Bills Filed

Home School, ,

Rep. Mark Lowery (R-Maumelle) has filed two bills expanding opportunities for home schoolers to utilize the state’s “Tim Tebow” law.

Arkansas’ “Tim Tebow” law lets home schoolers try out for extracurricular activities at their local public schools, provided they can demonstrate academic eligibility and meet any other criteria required by the school

Making “Tebow” Fair for Home Schoolers

H.B. 1474 lets a home schooled student try out for extracurricular activities at a neighboring school district if the student’s resident school district and the neighboring school district both agree to allow it.

Right now, some public school students can attend school in neighboring school districts by “mutual agreement” of the two districts; if both school districts agree it is OK, the student can attend school in a neighboring district. H.B. 1474 gives home schoolers the same option under the state’s “Tim Tebow” law.

The bill also ensures tryout criteria are fair for home schoolers . In some school districts, home schoolers who want to participate in extracurricular activities have been required to meet unfair tryout criteria. H.B. 1474 ensures public school students and home schoolers have an equal opportunity to tryout for extracurricular activities.

Expanding “Tebow” to Private Schools as Well as Public

H.B. 1481 expands Arkansas’ “Tim Tebow” law to let home schoolers tryout for extracurricular activities at private schools as well as public schools.

Under this bill, a home schooler may request to tryout for extracurriculars at a private school within 25 miles of where he or she lives. The private school is not obligated to let the home schooler tryout. Any home schooler who is allowed to tryout for extracurricular activities at a private school would be required to meet the same standards and criteria as a student enrolled in the private school.

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