Marijuana Amendment Fails to Qualify for November Ballot for Now

Marijuana,

The following is a press release from Family Council Action Committee.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, September 30, 2024

On Monday Secretary of State John Thurston’s office announced that the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Amendment of 2024 failed to qualify for the November ballot.

Family Council Action Committee Executive Director Jerry Cox issued a statement, saying, “This is a good decision, but it’s not the final decision. Every effort to amend the state’s most important governing document, our constitution, must go through a rigorous and thorough process. The bar should be high, and any effort that doesn’t meet it shouldn’t make the ballot. Secretary of State Thurston made the right call.”

Cox went on to say, “This marijuana amendment is a fatally flawed effort to bring recreational marijuana to Arkansas. It would make more than 30 changes to Arkansas’ constitution. This amendment would give a handful of businesses a monopoly over an unregulated marijuana industry, and it would remove important restrictions that protect children from marijuana marketing. A measure this bad simply has no business being on the ballot.”

Cox said Family Council Action Committee will continue opposing the amendment in case the Arkansas Supreme Court decides to put the measure back on the ballot. “The final decision over this measure will rest with the state supreme court. Big businesses have spent nearly two million dollars working to place this marijuana amendment on the ballot. We expect them to ask the Arkansas Supreme Court to overrule the Secretary of State’s decision. We plan to continue fighting Issue 3 in case the court decides to place it back on the ballot.”

###

READ MORE

Marijuana Hurts Heart Health: Researchers

Marijuana,

Recent studies have highlighted the harm marijuana causes to heart health.

For example, a large study published in February found marijuana use is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular problems. 

The study — which analyzed data from nearly 435,000 American adults — is one of the largest to explore the relationship between marijuana and cardiovascular problems.

Among other things, researchers found:

  • Daily marijuana use was linked to 25% higher risk of heart attack and 42% higher risk of stroke.
  • Weekly marijuana use was associated with 3% higher likelihood of heart attack and 5% higher likelihood of stroke.

These increased risks were found even after accounting for tobacco use and other health factors.

Another study published last year found people with cannabis use disorder faced about 60% higher risk of heart attack, stroke, or other cardiovascular problems.

Research like this has significant implications for Arkansas, where the group Arkansans for Patient Access is working to pass an amendment drastically expanding marijuana in the state.

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 use 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.

READ MORE

California Authorities Seize 36,000 Illegal Marijuana Plants in Drug Bust

Marijuana, ,

Law enforcement in California seized more than 36,000 illegal marijuana plants in a single drug bust last week.

The marijuana plants reportedly were part of drug cartel operations, and were planted among legitimate crops.

We have written time and again about how marijuana’s legalization in other states has actually emboldened drug cartels and organized crime.

Since January, authorities in California have confiscated more than $120 million worth of illegal marijuana — including more than 150,000 illegal plants.

Some of these illegal marijuana operations are tied to labor trafficking and violent crime, and some may actually have connections to foreign interests like the Chinese Communist Party.

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.

Stories like these have significant implications for Arkansas, where the group Arkansans for Patient Access is working to pass an amendment drastically expanding marijuana in the state.

You can watch news reports regarding the California drug bust below.

READ MORE