Jerry Cox – Page 4 – Family Council

Family Council Urges Arkansans to Contact U.S. Senate Regarding Drugs Made from Hemp

Aug 7, 2026Jerry CoxMarijuanaHemp, Marijuana

Family Council is asking Arkansans to email U.S. Senators John Boozman and Tom Cotton, and politely ask them and their colleagues in the Senate to keep the hemp loophole closed in federal law.

You can email Sen. Boozman here.

You can email Sen. Cotton here.

In 2018, Congress passed the federal Agriculture Improvement Act legalizing industrial hemp that is low in THC.

THC is the main psychoactive drug in marijuana, and health experts warn the drug poses serious risks. The goal of the 2018 law was to let farmers grow low-THC cannabis plants for use in textiles like rope or cloth, but manufacturers found ways to extract and refine the THC in industrial hemp. Doing this on a commercial scale meant they could produce a lot of THC to infuse into drinks, candies, e-cigarettes, and other products.

In 2025, Congress closed the loophole in the industrial hemp law, and Arkansas has been able to keep these dangerous drugs out of our state. Now some lobbyists for the hemp industry want to reopen the loophole.

That is why we are urging all of our friends across Arkansas to contact Senators Boozman and Cotton and politely ask them to keep the hemp loophole closed in federal law.

Public health reports across America have shown drugs like the ones made from hemp have sent kids to the emergency room and prompted parents to call poison control centers.

Last year, the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission tested 51 samples of industrial hemp flowers as part of the commission’s “Operation Clean Leaf” initiative. All 51 samples contained more THC than federal law allowed, and authorities said the vast majority of hemp products were sold without proper age verification. Some were even tainted with dangerous pesticides.

As we have said for years, drugs made from hemp 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.

U.S. Senate Needs to Clarify that Sports Bill Won’t Preempt Good Law in Arkansas

Aug 7, 2026Jerry CoxLegislationArkansas Legislature, Fairness in Women's Sports, LGBT, Transgender

The following is a press release from our friends at Alliance Defending Freedom.

Thursday, Aug 6, 2026

The following quote may be attributed to Alliance Defending Freedom CEO, President, and Chief Counsel Kristen Waggoner regarding the Protect College Sports Act (S. 4668), a bill currently in the U.S. Senate that could be voted on this week:

“For nearly a decade, Alliance Defending Freedom has worked with courageous female athletes, state and national lawmakers, and allies across the country to protect fairness, privacy, and safety in women’s sports. That work led to President Donald Trump’s Executive Order last January reaffirming biological truth and recognizing that men don’t belong in women’s sports. And it culminated with the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decisions in Little v. Hecox and State of West Virginia v. B.P.J., upholding Idaho’s and West Virginia’s laws ensuring men cannot compete in women’s sports. The Supreme Court affirmed that states can protect women’s sports—a massive win for the 27 states that have passed laws doing just that.

“The Protect College Sports Act, which addresses issues such as Name, Image, and Likeness agreements and student athlete transfers, creates an unnecessary risk of undermining the Supreme Court win, President Trump’s Executive Order, and many other hard-earned victories for women and girls. The bill sets general eligibility rules for college athletes and then preempts states from maintaining their own eligibility rules, which could include laws saying men are ineligible for women’s teams. For weeks, ADF has warned Congress that activists could misuse the bill’s existing preemption language to argue that states’ women’s sports laws can no longer be enforced.

“Every senator who cares about women’s equal opportunity should act immediately to clarify that this bill does not preempt states’ laws protecting women’s sports. There is a simple fix available: Ensure the preemption of state laws is narrow. We are living in a moment where lawyers can’t even define what a woman is. There’s no room for ambiguity. Let’s not undo the hard-fought gains or pass permanent legislation that could jeopardize these victories. We are thankful for President Trump’s legacy of protecting women’s sports to date and we don’t want to see it undone.

“It’s time to keep girls on the field, not sideline them again.”

Alliance Defending Freedom is an alliance-building, non-profit legal organization committed to protecting religious freedom, free speech, parental rights, and the sanctity of life.

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New This Week: Arkansas A.G. Battles Big Tech (and More!)

Aug 7, 2026Jerry CoxCurrent EventsCurrent Events, Update, Weekly Rewind

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Here’s a quick recap of the week’s top stories from Family Council and our friends:

From Family Council

Arkansas Judge Denies Temu’s Motion to Dismiss A.G. Griffin’s Lawsuit. An Arkansas judge recently denied a motion by Temu seeking to dismiss Attorney General Tim Griffin’s lawsuit against the online company. Attorneys representing Temu reportedly have until August 28 to respond to the A.G.’s allegations that Temu violated the Arkansas Deceptive Trade Practices Act. Keep Reading.

Arkansas A.G. Leads Coalition Against Dangerous Drugs Made from Hemp. In a letter released Tuesday, Attorney General Tim Griffin and 34 other attorneys general called on federal lawmakers to preserve the hemp reforms enacted in 2025 and reject any effort to reopen the loopholes that allowed intoxicating hemp products to flood the market in states like Arkansas. Keep Reading.

Arkansas State Police Make Major Drug Seizure, Arrest in Pope County. Troopers found 24 pounds of “individually packaged illegal marijuana,” a handgun, and 120 marijuana plants during a traffic stop. The driver reportedly told law enforcement he was traveling from Tulsa to Tennessee. Keep Reading.

Lee County Another Step Closer to Being 100% Pro-Life. In 2021, the Lee County Quorum Court declared itself a Pro-Life County, and since then nearly every incorporated city and town in the county has passed Pro-Life resolutions as well. In June, the City of Rondo became the latest community in Lee County to pass a resolution affirming that it is Pro-Life. Keep Reading.

New Report Confirms What We’ve Been Saying About Sports Betting. A recent report from the Ethics and Public Policy Center (EPPC) examines the explosion of online and app-based sports betting since the U.S. Supreme Court lifted the federal sports betting ban in 2018. The numbers are staggering. Keep Reading.

Federal Government Strengthens Religious Liberty Protections. The U.S. Department of Justice has issued updated guidance directing every federal agency to protect the free exercise of religion. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche announced the updated guidance on July 23. It is the first change to the DOJ’s religious liberty guidelines since 2017, and it reflects nearly a decade of important U.S. Supreme Court decisions that have expanded protections for people of faith. Keep Reading.

Business and the Christian Life: Guest Column. President Calvin Coolidge once said that “the business of America is business.” Too many Christians think of business as either inherently bad, immoral, or perhaps amoral, something set apart from their faith. At best, it pays the bills and support the missionaries, but many fail to see it as also under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Keep Reading.

Return to What Built the West. C.S. Lewis, when writing the final book of his interplanetary science fiction series, decided on a name for his climax book based on a poem by sixteenth century Scottish poet David Lyndsay. In this poem, Lindsey referenced the shade of the biblical Tower of Babel as “the shadow of that hideous strength.” Keep Reading.