Arkansas A.G. Leads Coalition Against Dangerous Drugs Made from Hemp

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Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin is leading a bipartisan coalition of 35 state attorneys general urging Congress to hold the line on intoxicating hemp products.

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. Now some lobbyists for the hemp industry want to reopen it.

In a letter released Tuesday, 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.

In a statement, A.G. Griffin said, “Reopening this loophole would create confusion, invite litigation, and undermine the progress we’ve made to protect consumers. The bottom line is simple: Republicans and Democrats across the country agree that intoxicating hemp products shouldn’t be accessible to our kids.”

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. The legislature passed it, and the 8th Circuit has upheld it as constitutional.

Arkansas lawmakers also passed S.B. 533 to further protect Arkansans from dangerous drugs made from hemp — and rejected multiple bad bills that would have legalized THC products in the state.

It is good to see policymakers around the country — including Arkansas’ own attorney general — taking steps to protect people from these dangerous drugs.

Congress should listen to Attorney General Griffin and his colleagues. 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.

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Arkansas State Police Make Major Drug Seizure, Arrest in Pope County

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Above: Arkansas State Police seized cash, drugs, and a handgun during a routine traffic stop on July 22.

On July 22, Arkansas State Police (ASP) Troopers seized marijuana from out of state during a routine traffic stop on I-40 in Pope County.

Troopers found 24 pounds of “individually packaged illegal marijuana,” a handgun, and 120 marijuana plants. The driver reportedly told law enforcement he was traveling from Tulsa to Tennessee.

Nationwide, many states have legalized marijuana to varying degrees, and federal regulators have 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.

In some cases, legalization has actually emboldened drug cartels, causing marijuana use to skyrocket.

For example, California seized more than 63,000 pounds of illegal marijuana from April to June of this year. 

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.” They 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.

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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Illicit Marijuana Still Plagues Oklahoma Despite Lax Laws

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Illicit marijuana tied to organized crime continues to plague Oklahoma despite the state’s lax laws.

Nationwide, marijuana’s supporters have claimed legalization would reduce crime by weakening organized crime, and today marijuana is legal to varying degrees in many states. But evidence shows legalization has actually emboldened drug cartels.

In May, the Oklahoma Attorney General’s Organized Crime Task Force raided two illegal marijuana grow operations with 48,665 illegal marijuana plants and 1,803 pounds of processed marijuana worth over $3 million.

This month, the task force shut down five illegal marijuana grow operations in one series of raids and seized illegal marijuana at two dispensaries and a convenience store in northeast Oklahoma in another series of raids.

Because of Oklahoma’s lax marijuana laws, law enforcement has alleged that 40% of America’s black market marijuana has come from legal grow sites in Oklahoma. Arkansas State Police routinely confiscate marijuana from Oklahoma.

Oklahoma is not the only state dealing with this issue.

The U.S. Department of Justice says Chinese drug cartels may be making millions of dollars from illegal marijuana in states like Maine, New York, and Massachusetts.

California has seized more than $1.2 billion in illegal cannabis since 2022.

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

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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