Bill Would Legalize Drugs Made From Cannabis Plant

Marijuana,

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, March 14, 2023

Little Rock, Ark. — On Monday lawmakers at the Arkansas Legislature filed H.B. 1605, a bill that would legalize Delta-8 THC, a cannabinoid found in both hemp and marijuana plants. Unlike medical marijuana, Delta-8 is currently unregulated under Arkansas law. Because it, like marijuana, impairs users and poses a danger to children, several states have passed laws making the product illegal. Instead of making Delta-8 illegal, H.B. 1605 regulates it by making Delta-8 legal for persons over age 21.

Family Council President Jerry Cox released a statement, saying, “H.B. 1605 is a bad bill. How many times will voters have to tell lawmakers that they don’t want recreational marijuana in any form? They made this very clear at the polls last November when they soundly rejected recreational marijuana. The people are smart enough to know that Arkansas does not need another drug problem.”

Cox said, “The marijuana industry failed at the polls last November. Now they are trying to succeed by walking the halls of our State Capitol and influencing our elected officials. Right now Arkansas law does not specifically address drugs like Delta-8 THC made from industrial hemp. Instead of prohibiting drugs like Delta-8 THC, H.B. 1605 enacts regulations that let wealthy companies manufacture and sell these dangerous drugs under the state’s industrial hemp law.”

Cox said the regulations in H.B. 1605 are not sufficient enough to protect Arkansans from drugs. “This bill puts the Tobacco Control Board in charge of drugs made from cannabis. Our state has had enough problems with underage drinking and underage smoking that we know this bill’s regulatory framework won’t protect kids from being exposed to these other drugs as well. Lawmakers could pass a measure that would actually restrict drugs made from industrial hemp. About a dozen other states have made it illegal, but this bill takes Arkansas in the wrong direction.”

Cox called on Arkansans to make their voices heard on H.B. 1605. “Over the past decade we have seen drug problems worsen in states that have legalized marijuana. Now is not the time to legalize drugs in Arkansas. We are urging voters to contact their legislators in the Arkansas House of Representatives and in the Arkansas Senate and politely ask them to oppose H.B. 1605, the bill to legalize drugs made from cannabis. There is simply too much at stake for voters to sit this one out.”

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Science Continues to Link Marijuana Use With Health Problems

Marijuana

Scientific research continues to link marijuana use with health problems.

A new study presented at the American College of Cardiology’s Annual Scientific Session found people who used marijuana daily were 34% more likely to develop coronary artery disease compared with people who have never used marijuana.

Researchers arrived at these conclusions based on a review of health and lifestyle information from a group of approximately 175,000 people.

A separate study by the Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center recently found that vaping CBD — a substance found in marijuana — can cause more severe lung damage than vaping nicotine.

These studies further underscore how marijuana legalization and marijuana use can harm public health.

A study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal found adults under age 45 who frequently use marijuana are roughly twice as likely to suffer from a heart attack as adults who do not use marijuana.

A study published last year in the journal of the Radiological Society of North America found marijuana smoke may be more harmful to lungs than cigarette smoke, after researchers examined some 150 lung scans from marijuana smokers, tobacco-only smokers, and nonsmokers.

A 2019 study found that regular marijuana use increased the risk of heart problems for young people, and a 2017 study reported marijuana smokers were three times more likely to die of hypertension.

A 2022 study published in The Lancet determined that using marijuana with high levels of THC was linked to an increased risk of psychosis.

A 2021 report published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found self-harm rates rose 46% among men ages 21 to 39 in states where commercial marijuana sales were legalized.

A 2019 study published in The Lancet found using marijuana with THC levels exceeding 10% increased the odds of a person suffering a psychotic episode.

The list goes on and on and on.

All of this underscores what we have said for years: Marijuana may be many things, but “harmless” simply is not one of them.

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Legislation Would Address Delta-8 THC in Arkansas

Legislation, Marijuana,

A bill filed last Friday at the Arkansas Legislature would address Delta-8 THC in state law.

S.B. 358 by Sen. Tyler Dees (R – Siloam Springs) and Rep. Jimmy Gazaway (R – Paragould) would prevent Delta-8 THC from being manufactured via industrial hemp, and it would place Delta-8, Delta-9, and Delta-10 THC on the list of controlled substances in state law.

THC is the primary psychoactive substance found in marijuana.

State and federal laws generally regulate Delta-9 THC, which has led some people to argue that other variants of THC — such as Delta-8 THC — are legal under state or federal law.

Delta-8 THC is still a mind-altering substance, and Arkansas law does not adequately restrict it. S.B. 358 would help address that problem.

Delta-8 THC has been a point of contention since Arkansas legalized medical marijuana and industrial hemp.

A lawsuit filed in state court last year alleged that a Delta-8 THC vape product contained inappropriate levels of Delta-9 THC. The case ultimately was dismissed and closed in January.

Recent news articles have highlighted the risk that children face from Delta-8 THC in Arkansas.

S.B. 358 is a good bill that will strengthen Arkansas law and help protect children from dangerous marijuana products.

Read S.B. 358 Here.

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