Illegal Marijuana Continues to Plague California, Oklahoma

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Above: Authorities in California seized more than 2,000 illegal marijuana plants during a raid on a massive grow operation.

Despite legalization, black market marijuana continues to plague states like California and Oklahoma.

Since January, authorities in California have confiscated more than $120 million worth of illegal marijuana — including nearly 123,000 illegal plants.

For example, on August 23, California’s Merced County Sheriff’s Office reportedly seized more than 2,000 marijuana plants and 300 pounds of marijuana at a massive, illegal grow site.

Earlier this month California’s Unified Cannabis Enforcement Taskforce announced it had seized more than 2.2 million packages of illegal marijuana in Los Angeles. Many of the packages reportedly contained food and candy laced with marijuana — which has a strong appeal to children.

Above: Examples of some of the illegal marijuana seized in Los Angeles.

On Tuesday, Oklahoma’s Moore Police Department issued a statement saying its officers seized more than 150 pounds of illegal marijuana at an Airbnb.

The marijuana appeared be vacuum sealed in packaging for illegal distribution.

Above: Illegal marijuana seized at an Oklahoma Airbnb.

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 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.

Right now the group Arkansans for Patient Access is working to pass an amendment drastically expanding marijuana in Arkansas.

Under this measure, marijuana users would no longer need to show they suffer from a specific medical condition listed in state law — making it easier to use marijuana recreationally.

The amendment would give free marijuana cards to immigrants and out-of-state residents who come to Arkansas to use marijuana.

The amendment would guarantee marijuana growers and sellers a monopoly over the state’s marijuana industry.

The measure also fails to limit the amount of THC in marijuana products, and it repeals restrictions designed to protect children from marijuana advertising.

All of this would lead to more marijuana in Arkansas. Family Council Action Committee has materials available for volunteers and churches regarding the marijuana amendment:

You can learn more at FamilyCouncilActionCommittee.com.

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

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Researchers Once Again Find Link Between Marijuana Use and Schizophrenia, Health Problems

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Marijuana use during adolescence poses serious risks to mental health — particularly increasing the risk of psychosis — according to a recent story in Psychiatric Times.

The article highlights a case study involving a teenage girl whose marijuana use worsened her mental and behavioral problems. Researchers point out that during adolescence, the brain is growing and changing, and marijuana use affects teens’ memory, cognition, impulse control, and other brain functions.

The story is part of a growing body of evidence that shows marijuana is harmful — especially for teens and young adults. 

Recent studies have found marijuana use is a leading indicator of workplace accidents and that it leads to schizophrenia among young men.  

Right now the group Arkansans for Patient Access is actively working to drastically expand marijuana in Arkansas.

If passed, the amendment would give free marijuana cards to immigrants and out-of-state residents who come to Arkansas to use marijuana.

The amendment would guarantee marijuana growers and sellers a monopoly over the state’s marijuana industry.

Marijuana users would no longer need to show they suffer from a specific medical condition listed in state law — making it easier to use marijuana recreationally.

The measure also fails to limit the amount of THC that marijuana products can contain, and it repeals restrictions on marijuana advertising.

All of this would lead to more marijuana in the state.

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

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Future of Ballot Measures Remains Uncertain as 2024 Election Milestone Arrives

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The future of three ballot proposals remains unclear as Arkansas reaches one of its milestones deadline ahead of the 2024 elections.

Thursday, August 22, is the deadline for the Secretary of State to certify ballot measures to the counties for inclusion on the ballot for the November 2024 General Election.

The certification lets each of Arkansas’ 75 counties know which initiatives will appear on the General Election Ballot.

However, three ballot proposals are still up in the air. Below is a brief summary of each measure and a little information about where the measure stands.

Measure #1: The Casino Amendment

Local Voters in Charge is backing a measure that would repeal the Racing Commission’s authority to issue a casino license without local voter approval in a countywide election. On July 5 the group submitted petition signatures to place the amendment on the ballot, and the Arkansas Secretary of State subsequently certified the measure for the ballot.

However, the measure has been challenged in court, and it is unclear if the Arkansas Supreme Court will let it remain on the ballot.

Measure #2: The Marijuana Amendment

Arkansans for Patient Access is promoting the Arkan­sas Med­ical Marijuana Amend­ment of 2024. The measure rewrites much of the “medical” marijuana amendment that Arkansas enacted in 2016. The measure would let people use “medical” marijuana without suffering from a specific medical condition listed in state law.

The amendment would repeal state laws and regulations that protect children from marijuana marketing, and it would give free marijuana cards to immigrants and people from out of state who travel to Arkansas to use marijuana. It also fails to limit the amount of THC that marijuana products can contain.

Arkansans for Patient Access submitted petition signatures to place its marijuana amendment on the ballot last month. Placing an initiative on the ballot requires 90,704 valid signatures from registered voters.

On July 31 the Secretary of State determined the group did not have enough signatures to make the ballot, but had submitted enough to qualify for a 30-day extension to collect additional petition signatures.

The group is expected to submit additional petition signatures next week.

Measure #3: The Abortion Amendment

Arkansans for Limited Government is pushing to place the Arkansas Abortion Amendment on the November ballot.

If passed, the measure would write abortion into the state constitution.

The Arkansas Abortion Amendment would prevent the State of Arkansas from restricting abortion during the first five months of pregnancy — which is more extreme than Roe v. Wade and would allow thousands of elective abortions on healthy women and unborn children every year.

The measure would automatically nullify all state laws that conflict with the amendment — jeopardizing basic abortion regulations like parental-consent and informed-consent requirements and paving the way for taxpayer-funded abortion in Arkansas.

The amendment does not contain any medical licensing or health and safety standards for abortion, and it does not require abortions to be performed by a physician or in a licensed medical facility.

The measure also contains various exceptions that would permit abortion up to birth in many cases.

Last month, Arkansans for Limited Government submitted petition signatures to place the Arkansas Abortion Amendment on the ballot. Bringing the amendment up for a vote would require at least 90,704 valid signatures from registered voters.

However, Secretary of State John Thurston disqualified every petition filed to place the abortion measure on the ballot, because the sponsors failed to provide affidavits that state law requires concerning paid petition canvassers.

By law, ballot initiative sponsors must file a statement confirming that each paid canvasser was given a copy of the state’s initiative and referenda handbook as well as an explanation of relevant state laws before he or she solicited petition signatures. The sponsors backing the abortion measure failed to file this specific documentation when they submitted the petitions for the abortion amendment. That prompted the Secretary of State to reject all of the petitions.

Arkansans for Limited Government subsequently filed a lawsuit against Secretary of State Thurston. The case is currently pending before the state supreme court.

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

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