Responsible Growth releases two new TV ads, featuring former sheriff, mom October 31, 2022 By Griffin Coop The group sponsoring an Arkansas recreational marijuana amendment has released two new TV ads depicting a mother and a former Arkansas sheriff who support Issue 4. One ad features Lance Huey, a former Grant County sheriff and former State Trooper. Huey is the vice-chair of Responsible Growth Arkansas, the group sponsoring the Arkansas Adult Use Cannabis Amendment and was one of the petitioners who brought the Supreme Court case that ultimately placed the amendment on the November ballot. In 2009, Huey resigned as Grant County sheriff to become the director of security for the newly created state lottery. The ad shows Huey, who lists a Brookland address on Responsible Growth’s organizational filing, driving a truck and carrying a bow and arrow through the woods. In the ad, Huey says “the best part” of Issue 4 is that “it will bring millions in police funding from here on out.” The amendment would eliminate the tax on medical marijuana and impose a 10% supplemental tax on recreational marijuana. According to the amendment,15% of that tax revenue would fund a stipend for certified law enforcement officers, 10% would go to the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and 5% would go to drug courts. In the second ad, a mother named Alli says she disagrees with the opponents ‘ads that suggest Issue 4 would be “the end of the world.” Ads from Safe and Secure Arkansas, a ballot question committee funded by Republican megadonors Ron Cameron and Richard Uihlein, describe dystopian consequences to recreational marijuana legalization such as increases in car accidents and a misleading report about newborns testing positive for cannabis. The amendment, Alli says, will provide protections for children and teenagers and “free up the police to focus on serious crime.” From the Responsible Growth press release: Responsible Growth Arkansas (RGA) is pleased to launch two new ads supporting Issue 4. “The newly placed television ad with Lance Huey, former Grant County Sheriff, former state police officer, and multi-generation Arkansan, is intended to show Arkansans the personal impact Issue 4 will have on law enforcement, especially the local level law enforcement. Lance Huey doesn’t shy away from telling Arkansans how it is. Issue 4 will save our law enforcement time and resources while providing them with new funding. Lance Huey wants Arkansans to know firsthand how devoting time to misdemeanor marijuana charges can take time away from responding to the most violent crimes that truly plague our communities,” said Eddie Armstrong, Responsible Growth Arkansas Chairman. Eddie Armstrong continued, “The Take It From a Mom” ad is focused on pushing back on the lies and fear-mongering the out-of-state interests and opponents of Issue 4 are peddling to Arkansans. The message is parents who vote for issue 4 also care about their children’s safety. Decades-old debunked talking points from the anti-recreational cannabis community will not sway voters.” RGA seeks to educate and highlight Arkansans on the benefits of “Issue 4,” aka the Arkansas Adult Use Cannabis Amendment (AAUCA). The AAUCA dedicates funds to law enforcement generated by new revenues that adult-use cannabis retail sales will bring to Arkansas.
