Arkansas governor’s campaign manager leads abortion amendment opposition group

KUAR | By Antoinette Grajeda / Arkansas Advocate

From the Arkansas Advocate:

Supporters of ballot initiatives on abortion, medical marijuana and education said they’re not concerned about the formation of a new opposition group led by an adviser to Arkansas’ governor.

Stronger Arkansas is chaired by Chris Caldwell, a political consultant who served as Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ 2022 gubernatorial campaign manager. Caldwell will also lead her 2026 re-election campaign.

According to a statement of organization filed with the Arkansas Ethics Commission on Friday, the ballot question committee is pursuing “the disqualification and/or defeat” of three constitutional amendments, including the Arkansas Abortion Amendment of 2024.

Arkansas governor’s campaign manager leads abortion amendment opposition group

Antoinette Grajeda/Arkansas Advocate

Petitioners gather signatures for a ballot initiative to expand abortion access in Arkansas during the Voices and Votes rally on Jan. 28, 2024 in Fayetteville.

Arkansas marijuana, patient group resubmits ballot proposal to increase access to medical cannabis

KUAR | By Hunter Field / Arkansas Advocate

From the Arkansas Advocate:

A marijuana industry and patient group has resubmitted language to the attorney general for a ballot measure to expand access to medical cannabis in Arkansas.

Attorney General Tim Griffin rejected the first version of the Arkansas Medical Cannabis Amendment of 2024 due to improper formatting and ambiguities about how the measure would affect existing state laws and rules.

Arkansans for Patient Access on Monday submitted new versions of the proposed constitutional amendment, ballot title and popular name with mostly technical changes, but the new version would also preclude the state Legislature from making changes to constitutional amendments.

Arkansas marijuana, patient group resubmits ballot proposal to increase access to medical cannabis

Proposal would expand medical cannabis access in Arkansas

KUAR | By Josie Lenora

A proposed constitutional amendment would expand access to medical marijuana in Arkansas, for those over 21.

The Arkansas Medical Cannabis Amendment of 2024 failed its first hurdle after Attorney General Tim Griffin rejected its ballot title on Monday. Despite that, supporters of the proposal vow to keep working to get it on the ballot.

Arkansas voters passed a law in 2016 legalizing medical marijuana for some conditions. The diagnoses needed to get a medical marijuana card are relatively severe, including cancer, HIV, Alzheimer's disease, epilepsy and PTSD. The new proposal would remove that list and expand access to the drug for virtually any medical condition or illness.

Proposal would expand medical cannabis access in Arkansas

Jeff Barnard/AP

A proposed constitutional amendment hopes to make medical marijuana more widely accessible in Arkansas.

Modeling estimates $984 million in Arkansas marijuana sales by 2027, tax gain of more than $260 million

by Talk Business & Politics staff (staff2@talkbusiness.net)

Arkansas voter approval in November of adult use (recreational) marijuana could add $2.4 billion to the state’s economy over five full years of implementation, and add up to 6,400 jobs by 2027, according to modeling from the Arkansas Economic Development Institute (AEDI).

The AEDI, housed at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock (UALR), was commissioned by Responsible Growth Arkansas (RGA) to conduct an economic modeling forecast of legal marijuana sales in Arkansas over a five-year period. RGA is the group that worked to get the proposed amendment on the November general election ballot.

If the issue is approved by voters, it would amend the existing law for medical marijuana and allow those who are at least 21 to purchase cannabis from licensed dispensaries. Existing medical marijuana dispensaries would receive licenses to sell recreational use cannabis at the dispensaries and obtain licenses to establish recreational cannabis dispensaries at another location. Licenses also would be available for additional dispensaries and cannabis cultivation facilities.

https://talkbusiness.net/2022/09/modeling-estimates-984-million-in-arkansas-marijuana-sales-by-2027-tax-gain-of-more-than-260-million/

Arkansas recreational marijuana advocates say it could be $1 billion industry

KUAR | By Michael Tilley/ Talk Business & Politics

River Valley Relief in Fort Smith could add up to 150 jobs. Kansas City, Kan.-based Greenlight estimates adding 100 jobs in Arkansas with $2 million in new investment. They’re just two of many medical marijuana companies operating in Arkansas likely to add jobs and investment if voters approve recreational marijuana use for adults in November.

Polling suggests broad support for recreational, or what is also called adult use.

But there will be opposition. Gov. Asa Hutchinson, a former federal prosecutor and head of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration under President George W. Bush, is against the November ballot question. He’s encouraging law enforcement groups to come out against the measure, telling members of the Arkansas Municipal Police Association not to be swayed by benefits being promoted by Responsible Growth Arkansas (RGA), the organization that worked to place legalization of recreational use on the November ballot.

https://www.ualrpublicradio.org/local-regional-news/2022-09-15/arkansas-recreational-marijuana-advocates-say-it-could-be-1-billion-industry

Two groups gathering signatures for Arkansas recreational marijuana proposals

KUAR | By Laura Isensee

Two groups are hoping to place proposals on the November ballot in Arkansas that would legalize the recreational use of marijuana. This comes six years after voters approved the use of marijuana for people in the state with certain medical conditions.

Backers of the separate proposed state constitutional amendments are working to gather enough valid petition signatures before a July deadline.

The proposal by Responsible Growth Arkansas would expand the number of grower licenses in the state to 20 and dispensary licenses to 40. Campaign Chairman Eddie Armstrong says it would enable more craft products to be grown.

https://www.ualrpublicradio.org/local-regional-news/2022-05-10/two-groups-gathering-signatures-for-arkansas-recreational-marijuana-proposals

Npr.Org/NPR News

Signatures are being collected by two groups hoping to legalize recreational marijuana in Arkansas.

Carroll County Medical Marijuana Dispensary Applicant Challenges State Selection Process

Arkansas Medical Marijuana Commission

A Medical Marijuana Commission map illustrates eight zones within which five ranked medical marijuana dispensaries are licensed by the state to operate.

By Jacqueline Froelich - KUAF

Carroll County Holdings, Inc., a highly ranked dispensary applicant, is challenging the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Commission selection process claiming the state failed to award it an operating license. The non-trial case is now pending before the Arkansas Supreme Court.

https://www.kuaf.com/show/ozarks-at-large/2022-04-28/carroll-county-medical-marijuana-dispensary-applicant-challenges-state-selection-process

Arkansas marijuana sales top $21 million in February; tax revenue was $2.3 million

by Michael Tilley (mtilley@talkbusiness.net)

Medical marijuana sales in Arkansas totaled $21.1 million in February, with sales based on tax revenue topping February 2021. Sales for the first two months of 2022 total $41.69 million and 7,389 pounds, according to the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration (DFA).

The DFA reported Tuesday (March 22) that tax revenue from the state’s 37 licensed marijuana dispensaries was $2.333 million in February, above the $2.309 million in February 2021. Taxes collected are 6.5% of regular state sales tax with each purchase by a patient, and a 4% privilege tax on sales from cultivators to dispensaries. Most of the tax revenue is placed in the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences National Cancer Designation Trust Fund.

https://talkbusiness.net/2022/03/arkansas-marijuana-sales-top-21-million-in-february-tax-revenue-was-2-3-million/

Arkansas-based cannabis fintech hits $2 billion mark; U.S. marijuana sales grow

KUAR | By Michael Tilley/ Talk Business & Politics

North Little Rock-based Abaca has processed more than $2 billion in transactions for the cannabis (marijuana) industry. Growth with the financial technology (fintech) banking company comes as more states in recent years have legalized some form of marijuana use.

The company recently announced it “compliantly” processed the transactions through its “bank-backed financial technology” that provides “normalized financial services for an underbanked industry.”

https://www.ualrpublicradio.org/local-regional-news/2022-02-04/arkansas-based-cannabis-fintech-hits-2-billion-mark-u-s-marijuana-sales-grow

Medical marijuana sales in Arkansas near 67,000 pounds through October

KUAR | By Michael Tilley/ Talk Business & Politics

Almost 67,000 pounds – roughly the weight of two F-35 fighter jets – of medical marijuana have been sold in Arkansas since May 2019, with the state collecting just under $45 million in taxes on the sales.

Licensed dispensaries in the state have sold 66,994 pounds of medical marijuana since the first dispensary opened in May 2019, with the value of the sales at $447 million.

Medical marijuana patients purchased 3,527 pounds of medical marijuana from the state’s 37 dispensaries in October, according to the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration, the parent agency of the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Commission. Most of the tax revenue is placed in the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences National Cancer Designation Trust Fund.

The Arkansas Department of Health reports 78,585 active patient cards.

https://www.ualrpublicradio.org/local-regional-news/2021-11-16/medical-marijuana-sales-in-arkansas-near-67-000-pounds-through-october

Almost 67,000 pounds of medical marijuana worth $447 million has been sold in Arkansas since the first dispensary opened in May 2019, according to the Department of Finance and Administration.

Arkansas Topping Out on Dispensaries, Active Cases Rise and Collecting Stories of Medicaid

By KYLE KELLAMS

KUAF includes an update on medical marijuana dispensaries in Arkansas, an uptick in active cases of COVID-19 in the states, and the stories and experiences of people with Medicaid in Arkansas.

https://www.kuaf.com/post/arkansas-topping-out-dispensaries-active-cases-rise-and-collecting-stories-medicaid

New Study Examines Arkansas Medical Marijuana Program

By DANIEL BREEN

Arkansas’ medical marijuana program is the subject of a new study examining its link to overall health outcomes.

Researchers with the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and the Arkansas Center for Health Improvement will lead the three-year study, funded by a $1.3 million grant from the National Institutes of Health.

ACHI president and CEO Dr. Joe Thompson says little research exists on the link between medical cannabis and health outcomes.

“We don’t know whether we’re going to have findings that medical marijuana helps, for example, lowering individuals that have pain, their opioid prescription rate, or whether medical marijuana may have unintended effects of having new mental health conditions emerge,” Thompson said.

Arkansas Medical Marijuana Sales Top 50,000 pounds

by Talk Business & Politics staff (staff2@talkbusiness.net)

Roughly two years after the first medical marijuana dispensary opened in Arkansas, the market has seen the sale of more than 50,000 pounds valued at $338.5 million, according to the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration, the parent agency of the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Commission.

State taxes on the dispensary sales since May 2019 total just under $34 million. Most of the tax revenue is placed in the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences National Cancer Designation Trust Fund.

Following are the top five of the state’s 33 dispensaries with the most medical marijuana sales.
• Releaf Center (Bentonville), first opened Aug. 7, 2019: 5,374.92 pounds
• Green Springs Medical (Hot Springs), first opened May 12, 2019: 4,238.69 pounds
• Natural Relief Dispensary (Sherwood), March 17, 2020: 3,475.65 pounds
• Suite 443 (Hot Springs), first opened May 10, 2019: 3,311.22 pounds
• Acanza (Fayetteville), first opened Sept. 14, 2019: 3,272.23 pounds

ADOBE STOCK

Marijuana Card Holder Sues Over Job Loss

by Mark Friedman

A medical marijuana card holder is suing a northwest Arkansas hospital system for withdrawing a job offer after he tested positive for pot, and he says he’s not alone.

Balance “Lance” Reed of Washington County is seeking class-action status against Northwest Arkansas Hospitals LLC of Springdale, which operates several hospitals including Willow Creek Women’s Hospital and Northwest Medical Center-Bentonville.

Under the law, employers can decide not to hire a medical marijuana patient for a “safety-sensitive position,” such as being a truck driver or manufacturing explosives.

https://www.arkansasbusiness.com/article/136016/marijuana-card-holder-sues-over-job-loss

More than 40,000 Pounds of Medical Marijuana Sold in Arkansas with Value of $285 Million

by Talk Business & Politics staff (staff2@talkbusiness.net)

More than 40,000 pounds of medical marijuana have been sold in Arkansas since the first dispensary opened in May 2019, according to the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Commission (AMMC). A dispensary in Bentonville has sold the most medical marijuana.

The 42,769 pounds sold is valued at $285 million, according to a press release from Scott Hardin, a spokesman for the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration, the parent agency of the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Commission. State taxes on the dispensary sales since May 2019 total just under $30 million. Most of the tax revenue is placed in the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences National Cancer Designation Trust Fund.

The AMMC has issued licenses for 38 dispensaries, with 32 dispensaries in operation and six working toward opening. There are 12 dispensaries that have reached at least 2,000 pounds in sales. The Arkansas Department of Health reports 74,779 active patient cards. Over the last 30 days, patients across the state spent an average of $880,000 each day on medical marijuana purchases, according to the AMMC.

https://talkbusiness.net/2021/04/more-than-40000-pounds-of-medical-marijuana-sold-in-arkansas-with-value-of-285-million/

Arkansas Medical Marijuana Industry Adds Dispensaries, Patients and Exceeds 2020 Expectations

By ZUZANNA SITEK

Many industries across Arkansas have been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the medical marijuana business is not one of them. According to Medical Marijuana Commission Spokesman Scott Hardin, the industry closed out 2020 having made about $175 million in sales on 26,000 pounds of product. The state also started last year with fewer than ten open dispensaries but is starting 2021 with 32, as well as a lot more patients with medical marijuana cards.

https://www.kuaf.com/post/arkansas-medical-marijuana-industry-adds-dispensaries-patients-and-exceeds-2020-expectations

STOCK IMAGE

Arkansas's Existing Medical Marijuana Cultivators Sue to Stop Industry Expansion

Medical marijuana sales in Arkansas rose after a COVID-19 pandemic was declared last March, resulting in marijuana flower shortages. The Arkansas Medical Marijuana Commission, which regulates the industry, has recently licensed several more medical marijuana cultivation facilities to open by next year. Existing Arkansas cultivators have filed suit to block industry expansion, claiming there is adequate supply.

https://www.kuaf.com/post/arkansass-existing-medical-marijuana-cultivators-sue-stop-industry-expansion

Arkansas's Existing Medical Marijuana Cultivators Sue to Stop Industry Expansion

Medical marijuana sales in Arkansas rose after a COVID-19 pandemic was declared last March, resulting in marijuana flower shortages. The Arkansas Medical Marijuana Commission, which regulates the industry, has recently licensed several more medical marijuana cultivation facilities to open by next year. Existing Arkansas cultivators have filed suit to block industry expansion, claiming there is adequate supply.