Arkansas Legislators Issue Statement Against Marijuana Issue 4

Marijuana

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

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – On Monday, October 24th, a coalition of 64 legislators from the Arkansas House of Representatives issued a statement opposing Issue 4, the amendment to legalize marijuana in Arkansas.

In the statement, lawmakers said, “As your elected representatives, we want voters to understand that Issue 4, the recreational marijuana amendment, represents the kind of political cronyism that frustrates Arkansans.

Issue 4 actually creates a marijuana monopoly for a small group of investors in our state constitution, and it ties the hands of your state legislators when it comes to regulating marijuana businesses.

Drug policy should not be made by marijuana industry insiders looking to profit off of Arkansans. Drug policy should be made by the voters and their elected representatives. We encourage our constituents to VOTE NO on Issue 4.”

Family Council Action Committee Executive Director Jerry Cox praised Arkansas’ legislators for taking a stand against Issue 4, saying, “The marijuana industry is trying to get around Arkansas’ elected leaders by spending millions of dollars to put a misleading amendment on the 2022 ballot. There is no way a measure this poorly written would pass at the Capitol Building in Little Rock. Under Issue 4, Arkansas arguably would have the least regulated cannabis industry in America. Lawmakers and city councils would be powerless to tax or regulate marijuana, and the companies who grow and sell marijuana would have a monopoly on the industry. Arkansas’ elected leaders understand how dangerous Issue 4 is. Voters need to understand that as well when they head to the polls this year.”

A list of the state legislators who signed Monday’s statement is below.

  • Sonia Eubanks Barker
  • Rick Beck
  • Mark H. Berry
  • Stan Berry
  • Justin Boyd
  • Ken Bragg
  • Harlan Breaux
  • Keith Brooks
  • Karilyn Brown
  • John Carr
  • Frances Cavenaugh
  • Craig Christiansen
  • Joe Cloud
  • Bruce Coleman
  • Cameron Cooper
  • Bruce Cozart
  • Carol Dalby
  • Gary Deffenbaugh
  • Jim Dotson
  • Les Eaves
  • Jon Eubanks
  • Brian Evans
  • Charlene Fite
  • Lanny Fite
  • Jack Fortner
  • Tony Furman
  • Jimmy Gazaway
  • Justin Gonzales
  • Michelle Gray
  • Delia Haak
  • Steve Hollowell
  • Lane Jean
  • Lee Johnson
  • Jack Ladyman
  • Mark Lowery
  • Robin Lundstrum
  • Roger Lynch
  • John Maddox
  • Julie Mayberry
  • Rick McClure
  • Austin McCollum
  • Mark McElroy
  • Richard McGrew
  • Ron McNair
  • Stephen Meeks
  • Josh Miller
  • Jon Milligan
  • John Payton
  • Aaron Pilkington
  • David Ray
  • Marcus Richmond
  • Johnny Rye
  • Matthew Shephard
  • Keith Slape
  • Brandt Smith
  • Stu Smith
  • Dwight Tosh
  • Nelda Speaks
  • DeAnn Vaught
  • Danny Watson
  • Carlton Wing
  • Richard Womack
  • Jim Wooten

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Arkansas Farm Bureau Opposes Marijuana Issue 4

Marijuana

On Wednesday, Stanley Hill, Vice President, Public Affairs & Government Relations of Arkansas Farm Bureau, published an opinion-editorial opposing ballot Issue 4, the amendment to legalize marijuana in Arkansas.

Mr. Hill writes,

Issue 4 would legalize recreational marijuana in the state and our organization opposes production or use of recreational marijuana in Arkansas. In November 2016, Arkansas voters approved medical marijuana by a slim margin and now more than 95,000 Arkansans have been granted access to medical marijuana.

If approved, Issue 4 would bring concerns of workforce challenges for farmers and ranchers already burdened with labor issues. Compounding that would be detrimental to our state’s top industry.

Finally, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has presented data that shows car crash rates have spiked in other states that have legalized recreational marijuana. These are statistics that have a real impact on every Arkansan’s insurance premium at a time when most pocketbooks can’t take another price increase.

Farm Bureau’s concerns about Issue 4 echo concerns that other Arkansans have raised about marijuana legalization.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the CDC report that after alcohol, marijuana is the substance most often associated with impaired driving.

In Colorado traffic fatalities where the driver tested positive for marijuana have increased 138% since the state legalized marijuana in 2013.

The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety estimates that the number of drivers involved in fatal crashes in Washington doubled after the state legalized marijuana.

A 2020 study published in JAMA Network Open found that more than 1 in 8 teen drivers reported recently driving after using marijuana, and teens were more than twice as likely to drive after using marijuana than they were to drink and drive.

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

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

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