Marijuana – Page 98 – Family Council

Marijuana Businesses Increase Spending on Issue 4 Campaign, Candidate Donations

Oct 19, 2022Jerry CoxMarijuanaMarijuana

Reports filed with the Arkansas Ethics Commission show Responsible Growth Arkansas — the group supporting Marijuana Issue 4 — spent $404,593.98 on its campaign last month.

Of that money, more than $293,000 went toward advertising expenses.

Responsible Growth Arkansas currently has two television ads in support of Issue 4. Earlier this month the ads prompted a cease-and-desist letter from the Little Rock City Attorney after it was discovered the advertisements used video footage of police officers from LRPD recruitment videos without the police department’s knowledge or consent.

Responsible Growth Arkansas is still running the ads on TV despite the cease-and-desist letter from the City of Little Rock.

All told, Responsible Growth Arkansas has received nearly $4.9 million in campaign contributions for Issue 4. Virtually all of that money has come from members of the marijuana industry.

In a separate filing with the Arkansas Secretary of State, the Grow PAC revealed it contributed $7,750 during previous three months to candidates running for office in Arkansas.

Grow PAC represents the medical marijuana industry in Arkansas, and it has given thousands of dollars to political campaigns in the state this year.

As we have said many times, marijuana is a multimillion dollar business, and the corporations behind marijuana have a lot of money at their disposal. Between contributions to pass Issue 4 and support for specific candidate campaigns, the marijuana industry seems to be working hard to exert its influence in Arkansas.

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

Arkansas Southern Baptist State Convention Leader Opposes Issue 4

Oct 17, 2022Jerry CoxMarijuanaMarijuana

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

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, October 14, 2022

LITTLE ROCK, ARK. – On Friday, Executive Director of the Arkansas Baptist State Convention Dr. Sonny
Tucker released a statement opposing Issue 4, the constitutional amendment to legalize marijuana in
Arkansas.

“As followers of Christ, we are called to love our neighbor as ourselves,” Dr. Tucker said. “Legalizing marijuana does not show love to our neighbors. Drug abuse hurts families and robs people of their God-
given potential. Over the past ten years we have seen those problems worsen in states that have legalized marijuana. All of us know someone who has been devastated by drug use. Issue 4 would devastate many communities in Arkansas.”

Family Council Action Committee Executive Director Jerry Cox echoed Dr. Tucker’s words, saying, “Southern Baptist ministries in Arkansas have worked for decades to help people overcome addiction and substance abuse. Issue 4 undermines those addiction recovery programs. Some people will tell you that marijuana isn’t any more harmful than alcohol. That might have been true ten or twelve years ago, but it doesn’t seem to be true any more. High potency marijuana is the norm in states like Colorado and California, and Issue 4 legalizes THC extracts that are even more potent than a typical marijuana plant. Those drugs will hurt a lot of people. That’s just another reason why Arkansans should vote against Issue 4 this November.”

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Editorial Board at Arkansas’ Largest Newspaper Opposes Marijuana Issue 4

Oct 17, 2022Jerry CoxMarijuanaMarijuana

On Monday the editorial board at the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette released an editorial against Issue 4, the marijuana amendment.

The editorial posed a straightforward question: Will marijuana fix what’s wrong in Arkansas? The answer, the editors argued, is No.

Among other things, the editors noted that Little Rock is experiencing a crime wave, ACT scores in Arkansas have fallen, and children aren’t reading at grade level. “Will legalizing marijuana fix that?” the editors ask.

After addressing several arguments in favor of marijuana legalization, the editorial concludes, “Will marijuana fix what’s wrong in Arkansas? If your answer is no, then please vote that way on Nov. 8.”

Read The Editorial Here.