Bad Idea on the Bayou: Louisiana Lawmakers Consider Legalizing Kratom

Drugs,

Lawmakers in Louisiana are considering a bill to allow the sale of the drug kratom under certain circumstances.

Kratom is a dangerous drug that is often marketed as a dietary supplement. The federal government has advised public officials to prohibit kratom, and states like Arkansas have done so.

The Mayo Clinic has called kratom “unsafe and ineffective,” writing,

Poison control centers in the United States received more than 3,400 reports about use of kratom from 2014 through 2019. These included reports of death. Side effects reported included high blood pressure, confusion and seizures.

Louisiana House Bill 253 would generally let people age 21 or older buy and use kratom. The proposal is similar to a very bad bill that Arkansas lawmakers soundly defeated in April.

The powerful interests who benefit from the sale of kratom generally do not make the public health or safety of everyday people a high priority. That’s why policymakers and public health officials need to protect families by prohibiting these dangerous drugs rather than simply regulating them.

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

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Fort Smith Couple to be Tried in Child THC Overdose Case

Marijuana,

Local news outlets report a Fort Smith couple will be tried jointly in a case concerning THC overdose by a child.

THC is the primary psychoactive ingredient found in marijuana.

KNWA reports,

Kelli Casey, 31, and Roy Casey, 31, were arrested on April 8 on first-degree endangering the welfare of a minor and maintaining a premises for drug activity charges. Both have pleaded not guilty to those charges. . . .

A probable cause affidavit said that on Feb. 7, Fort Smith police officers were contacted by a hospital regarding an unresponsive toddler who was flown to Arkansas Children’s Hospital in Little Rock.

Hospital staff determined the child had acute respiratory failure and secondary THC poisoning due to overdosing on THC, according to the affidavit. . . .

The affidavit said officers searched the home and found 11 grams of marijuana, 20 THC liquid vape cartridges and two bongs with THC wax residue on the kitchen counter. There was also a film of wax residue on multiple items in the home.

We have written repeatedly about the harm that THC can cause to children. Nationwide, THC products are sending kids to the emergency room.

Earlier this year, USA Today reported 11 middle schoolers in New York were hospitalized on Monday after a classmate gave them gummies laced with THC.

In March, health officials in North Carolina released a report showing a surge in Poison Control calls about children exposed to THC.

This year the Arkansas Legislature passed a good law to help protect people from dangerous drugs like THC. Lawmakers also rejected multiple bills legalizing THC and similar substances.

All of this reminds us once again: 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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Delta-8 in the Dock: Arkansas’ Battle Against Hemp Drugs Gets a New Judge

Marijuana, , ,

The lawsuit over Arkansas’ 2023 ban on Delta-8 THC and other drugs made from hemp has been reassigned to U.S. District Judge Kristine Baker, according to court documents issued last month.

THC is the main psychoactive drug in marijuana, and health experts increasingly warn the drug poses serious risks.

In 2018, Congress passed the federal Agriculture Improvement Act legalizing industrial hemp — or cannabis — that is low in THC. The goal was to let farmers grow cannabis plants for use in textiles like rope or cloth, but manufacturers have found ways to extract and refine the little bit of THC in industrial hemp. Doing this on a commercial scale means they can produce a lot of THC to infuse into drinks, candies, e-cigarettes, and other products.

In response, many state and federal policymakers have pushed back against these dangerous drugs.

For example, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has said that federal law prohibits hemp-derived THC in food products.

Massachusetts, South Dakota, California, and many other states have successfully prohibited food, drinks, and other products that contain THC made from hemp.

In 2023, Arkansas passed Act 629 by Sen. Tyler Dees (R – Siloam Springs) and Rep. Jimmy Gazaway (R – Paragould) to prohibit THC made from industrial hemp.

Family Council supported that good law, and the legislature voted to pass it.

However, members of the hemp industry filed a lawsuit against Act 629, and the law has been tied up in federal court ever since.

A court order issued on April 9 shows the case was randomly reassigned to U.S. District Judge Kristine Baker after Judge Billy Roy Wilson recused himself from the case due to his senior status. Judge Wilson has served on the federal court since 1993. Senior status is a form of judicial semi-retirement that reduces judges’ caseloads.

This year Sen. Dees and Rep. Gazaway filed S.B. 533 to address the issues raised in the lawsuit over Act 629.

S.B. 533 is a good law that will help prohibit intoxicating hemp products that contain THC and other drugs in Arkansas if Act 629 is ruled unconstitutional.

The law effectively stops THC and other drugs made from hemp from being put into food or drinks sold in the state.

It also ensures other hemp products — like CBD oil or cosmetics — do not contain dangerous drugs or other contaminants.

More and more, there is evidence that drugs made from hemp are harmful and need to be prohibited.

In Oregon — where marijuana is legal — the state’s Liquor and Cannabis Commission recently tested 51 samples of industrial hemp flowers as part of its “Operation Clean Leaf” initiative. All 51 hemp samples contained more THC than federal law allows.

Authorities also said the vast majority of hemp products were sold without proper age verification, and that some were tainted with pesticides. That’s part of the reason even liberal states like Oregon are taking steps to address these products.

Laws like Act 629 of 2023 and S.B. 533 are good measures that protect Arkansans from dangerous drugs. We believe courts will ultimately recognize that and let the state prohibit these drugs made from hemp.

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

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