Guest column: Why Issue 4 is right for Arkansas and what Melissa Fults gets wrong Issue 4 is a critically important stepping stone that will move cannabis reform forward in Arkansas. If Melissa Fults’ alliance with Jerry Cox of the Family Council is successful in defeating this amendment, her legacy will not be that of a cannabis advocate but that of a regressive crusader who compromised her ethics. 5 months ago by Robbin Rahman Column
It’s time to relax and wait for the Supreme Court to rule Let’s all take a moment and relax. Maybe an indica-dominant edible is in order. Earlier this week, the state Supreme Court issued an order directing Secretary of State John Thurston to “decide the sufficiency” of the Arkansas Adult Use Cannabis Amendment for the ballot. The order set off confusion on all sides of the issue…. View Article 7 months ago by Griffin Coop Column
Pot Rx panel sued The first lawsuit over the state Medical Marijuana Commission’s scoring of the top five applicants for cultivation permits under the new medical marijuana law was filed Tuesday. The suit, by Naturalis Health of Little Rock, asks for an injunction against award of the permits. The suit was assigned to Pulaski County Circuit Judge Wendell Griffen. Defendants are the state Department of Finance and… View Article 5 years ago by Cannabiz Staff Column Laws
Growers and $$ Some, but not all, of the five companies the state has scored as eligible for cannabis cultivation in Arkansas included in their applications estimates of job hires and financial impact. Companies estimate hires between 25 and 60; two estimate payrolls will exceed $1 million. Beau Whitney, senior economist at New Frontier Data, which gathers information… View Article 5 years ago by Cannabiz Staff Column
Hemp hurdles Questions raised by Governor Hutchinson about whether regulations for industrial hemp research conflict with federal law and other queries have apparently slowed progress toward the implementation of the Arkansas Industrial Hemp Act. The Industrial Hemp Committee, which is under the state Plant Board, approved draft regulations in January. Plant Board Director Terry Walker met with… View Article 5 years ago by Cannabiz Staff Column Regulations
Cannabis study To gauge the perceived public health benefits of medical marijuana, researchers at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences will conduct a groundbreaking five-year-long survey that could pave the way for understanding cannabis’ effect on health. The survey — which can be found at tinyurl.com/armedcannabis — is a voluntary web survey that will take 30 to 40… View Article 5 years ago by Cannabiz Staff Column Regulations
FDA limits CBD advertising A company recently sent the Arkansas Times a press release advertising its cannabidiol (CBD) products, claiming they help with “relief of chronic pain,” “anti-inflammatory benefits,” “anxiety relief,” “sleep,” and “Cancer, Parkinson’s, and Diabetes fighting properties.” Making such claims is against FDA guidelines. The FDA is researching cannabidiol “as a new drug for which substantial clinical investigations have… View Article 5 years ago by Cannabiz Staff Column Laws
Hemp panel meets The Industrial Hemp Committee held its first meeting Tuesday, passing draft regulations to the full Plant Board for approval and moving the state nearer to creating a bureaucracy for the new industry in Arkansas The board hopes that farmers will plant the first batch of industrial hemp this year. In the last legislative session, the Industrial Hemp Act —… View Article 5 years ago by Cannabiz Staff Column Regulations
Rx fees: a range Under Arkansas’s new medical marijuana program, doctors do not prescribe cannabis. Instead, they certify that patients have one or more of the 18 medical conditions that allow them to seek a medical marijuana card from the state Department of Health. To date, at least 21 doctors have agreed to sign the Physician Written Certification required… View Article 5 years ago by Cannabiz Staff Column Laws
Pot and politics The politics of medical marijuana in Arkansas will be an interesting story as it evolves. Could it, for example, become an issue in congressional races? It is an issue that doesn’t break as neatly along partisan lines as, say, abortion and gay rights. A group supporting legal marijuana notes today that 69 U.S. representatives are pushing legislation to… View Article 5 years ago by Cannabiz Staff Column
