Arkansas Continues to Put Its Money Where Its Moms Are — Plus More Stories From This Week

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Arkansas Gave $1.7M+ to Pregnancy Resource Centers in FY 2026. Arkansas’ financial records show the State awarded a total of $1,735,585 in grants to more than three dozen different pregnancy help organizations before the 2026 fiscal year ended on June 30. Keep Reading.

Women and Children Deserve Better than Mail-Order Abortion. Our friends at the Center for Christian Virtue recently released a video highlighting the dangers of mail-order abortion drugs — and what Americans can do to stop them. Keep Reading.

Here’s a Look at How Arkansas’ Laws Properly Safeguard Religious Liberty. One of the questions that comes up about religious liberty is how to protect the free exercise of religion without letting someone use that freedom to commit crimes or harm innocent people. Arkansas has at least two laws that navigate that issue very well. Keep Reading.

Nearly One in Four Likely Voters “Not at All Concerned” About Socialist Candidates Getting Elected to Congress. Rasmussen reports half of likely voters in the U.S. are concerned about socialist candidates becoming members of Congress next year. Nearly one in three (32%) told Rasmussen that they are actually “very concerned.” However, 23% of likely voters told Rasmussen they are “not at all concerned.” Keep Reading.

Grant Funding Pushes for Better Research on Dangers of Sports Gambling. CNBC reports billionaires John and Laura Arnold are offering more than $2 million in research grants to universities to study the risks of online sports betting. Keep Reading.

Arkansas State Police Seize More Marijuana from Out-of-State. On July 15, Arkansas State Police seized 150 pounds of illegal marijuana during a routine traffic stop on I-40 near Van Buren. The driver — who was taken into custody — reportedly was travelling from California to White Hall, Arkansas. The incident underscores how marijuana’s legalization in other states is actually fueling the black market. Keep Reading.

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

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Arkansas State Police Seize More Marijuana from Out-of-State

Marijuana
Arkansas State Police File Photo.

On July 15, Arkansas State Police seized 150 pounds of illegal marijuana during a routine traffic stop on I-40 near Van Buren. The driver — who was taken into custody — reportedly was travelling from California to White Hall, Arkansas. The incident underscores how marijuana’s legalization in other states is actually fueling the black market.

Nationwide, many states have legalized marijuana to varying degrees, and the Trump Administration has moved to ease federal restrictions on the drug. But while policymakers push for more marijuana, law enforcement continues to battle marijuana grown or sold illegally on the black market.

For example, California has seized more than 63,000 pounds of illegal marijuana in the past three months alone. The U.S. Department of Justice has said organized crime from Mexico and China may be making millions of dollars from marijuana grown in states like California.

Illegal marijuana operations often are believed to be tied to labor trafficking and violent crime — contributing to what some have called “modern day slavery on American soil.”

Illegal marijuana grow sites also often use illegal pesticides that poison users and harm the environment.

Arkansas sits at the heart of  major drug trafficking corridors, and as a result, the Arkansas State Police routinely intercept marijuana from other states that appears to be intended for the black market.

Contrary to popular belief, marijuana’s legalization has actually emboldened drug cartels, and marijuana use has skyrocketed across America.

About 18 million Americans now use marijuana almost daily — which is triple the number from just over a decade ago. If these frequent users formed their own state, it would be nearly six times the population of Arkansas.

Heavy marijuana use is having serious consequences.

Yale reports roughly 30% of current cannabis users now meet the criteria for addiction, and researchers writing in JAMA found nearly one in three “medical” marijuana users may suffer from cannabis use disorder.

THC — the main psychoactive substance in marijuana — has been tied to everything from heart disease and cancer to stroke, mental illness, and birth defects.

In fact, researchers now say marijuana use doubles a person’s risk of death from heart disease.

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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Grant Funding Pushes for Better Research on Dangers of Sports Gambling

Gambling, ,

CNBC reports billionaires John and Laura Arnold are offering more than $2 million in research grants to universities to study the risks of online sports betting.

The grants will help researchers “look at the effect of gambling on financial well-being, household formation, mental health and consumer behavior.”

Thanks to internet gambling, placing a bet is now as easy as sending a text.

Researchers say more than half of men ages 18 – 49 now have an active sportsbook account online. Arkansans wagered a record $86.5 million in March alone this year.

But experts and policymakers are raising serious concerns about the impact this type of gambling may be having on our society.

A study published last month found gambling disorder diagnoses have risen more than 60% in states that legalized sports betting. Researchers said the largest increase in gambling disorders was found among young adults ages 18 – 29.

People who gamble on sports are at an increased risk of suffering from gambling problems. When sports betting happens online or on a smartphone, the rate is even higher.

Mobile sports betting apps use addictive technology to hook people — especially young adults. A recent report from mental health professionals at Baptist Health South Florida found that internet gambling platforms are engineered to keep people engaged, using instant rewards and near-misses to trigger the same brain chemistry as other addictions.

Bankruptcy attorneys across the country say online sports betting is driving a surge in personal bankruptcies — especially among young men in their 20s and 30s — and researchers at UCLA estimate that online sportsbooks are linked to an increase of roughly 30,000 more bankruptcies per year nationwide.

Experts are also sounding the alarm over “prediction markets” that they say are not regulated under state gambling laws, but are still just as addictive as other forms of online gambling.

Maybe all of this is part of the reason why polling now shows most Americans do not believe sports betting has been good for society or good for sports.

Arkansas families need to understand that sports betting isn’t harmless entertainment — it’s predatory, and it’s growing.

As powerful corporations try to make gambling part of everyday life, it’s important for Arkansas to protect its citizens and families from predatory gambling. Otherwise, gambling addiction will simply continue wrecking lives and hurting families in our state.

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

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