Eleven bills addressing the states medical marijuana program are scheduled to go before legislative committees today.
Ten of the bills were filed in the House of Representatives and will be discussed in the House Rules Committee. The eleventh bill was introduced in the Senate and will be taken up by the Senate Education Committee.
Under the voter-approved Arkansas Medical Marijuana Amendment, patients with a certifiable medical condition may purchase up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana every 14 days from dispensaries stocked from in-state marijuana cultivation facilities.
Any bill amending the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Amendment requires a two-thirds majority vote from both the house and the Senate.
One of the bills scheduled for todays House Rules Committee meeting, House Bill 1400, would explicitly prevent the smoking of medical marijuana anywhere in the state. John Payton of Wilburn, whose district includes southern Baxter County and Stone County, is a co-sponsor on HB1400.
HB1391 would give city councils and quorum courts to power to vote to ban marijuana dispensaries or cultivation facilities inside their jurisdictions. Under the current amendment, cities and counties may ban marijuana facilities by a vote of the people. HB1391 would also strike the provision that dispensaries are to be treated the same as a licensed retail pharmacy as far as local zoning regulations are concerned.
HB1391 is co-sponsored by Nelda Speaks of Mountain Home, Jack Fortner of Yellville and Payton. Speaks district includes northern Baxter County and Mountain Home, while Fortners district includes Marion County and southwest Baxter County.
HB1392 would prohibit the production and consumption of food or drink laced with medical marijuana. The bill would make an exception for qualified patients or their caregivers to mix marijuana into food or drink if such a mixture would aid in the ingestion of medical marijuana. HB1392 is co-sponsored by Fortner.
SB243, the bill to be taken up by the Senate Education Committee, would require that half of all tax revenue generated by medical marijuana sales taxes would go to the Department of Career Education.
HB1369, which will be considered by the House Rules Committee, would require that any tax revenue generated would first go to the state to reimburse it for its enforcement and regulation of the program; any excess funds would go to the states general revenue fund.
The original amendment specified that half of all revenue generated be placed in a vocational training fund.
Two bills addressing medical marijuana have been filed, but neither one is currently scheduled to be reviewed by committee at this time.
SB238 would delay the implementation of the states medical marijuana program until 180 days after the federal government changes its laws to permit medical marijuana. SB254 would drop the provision allowing dispensaries to grow a limited amount of marijuana on site for resale.
Both bills have been assigned to the Senates Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee, which includes Scott Flippo of Bull Shoals and Missy Irvin of Mountain View. Flippos district includes most of Boone, Baxter and Marion counties while Irvins district includes southeast Baxter County, western Fulton County and Stone County.
Two bills addressing the states medical marijuana program have already been approved by the Legislature and signed into law by Gov. Asa Hutchinson.
HB1026, signed into effect as Act 4 of the 91st General Assembly, pushed back the deadline for state agencies to publish departmental regulations pertaining to the program 60 days until May 8.
HB1058, which became Act 5 of the 91st General Assembly when signed, removed the requirement that physicians must weigh the pros and cons of medical marijuana when certifying that a patient has a qualifying medical condition. Act 5 also clarified that medical marijuana documents are not federally protected medical records but are exempt from the states Freedom of Information Act.
Marijuana legislation
A recap of the medical marijuana-related bills filed by the state Legislature during the 91st General Assembly:
HB1026 Pushes deadline for state agencies to publish marijuana regulations to May 8. Status: Signed into law as Act 4.
HB1058 Strikes language requiring doctors to weigh benefits and risks of medical marijuana when certifying that a patient has a qualifying medical condition. Also specifies that medical marijuana records are not federally protected, but still confidential. Status: Signed into law as Act 5.
HB1298 Requires licenses for dispensary or cultivation facilities be issued to individual people, not businesses or groups. Status: Assigned to the House Rules Committee, scheduled to be discussed today.
HB1369 Requires tax revenues from medical marijuana to first repay state for programs administration and enforcement; any excess would go to the states general revenue fund. Drops requirement that half of tax revenue go towards vocational and technical training. Status: Assigned to the House Rules Committee, scheduled to be discussed today.
HB1370 Allows Medical Marijuana Commission to regulate artwork, building signs, indoor displays and other forms of medical marijuana marketing. Commission will also regulate the shape and flavors of any medical marijuana products. Requires child-safe packaging on medical marijuana products. Status: Assigned to the House Rules Committee, scheduled to be discussed today.
HB1371 Requires Medical Marijuana Commission to administer criminal background check of any owner, board member or officer of a dispensary or cultivation facility. Requires licenses for dispensaries or cultivation facilities to be issued to individuals, not corporate entities. Status: Assigned to the House Rules Committee, scheduled to be discussed today.
HB1391 Allows city council and quorum courts to vote to ban dispensaries and cultivation facilities from their jurisdictions. Also strikes language requiring dispensaries to be treated the same as a pharmacy for zoning purposes. Status: Assigned to the House Rules Committee, scheduled to be discussed today.
HB1392 Prohibits the production or consumption of marijuana-laced food or drink. Makes an exception for qualified patients or their caregiver to mix marijuana into food/drink if that is required to aid in the consumption of medical marijuana. Status: Assigned to the House Rules Committee, scheduled to be discussed today.
HB1400 Prohibits the smoking of medical marijuana anywhere in the state. Status: Assigned to the House Rules Committee, scheduled to be discussed today.
HB1409 Better defines excluded felonies that would bar people from operating a dispensary or cultivation facility. Status: Assigned to the House Rules Committee, scheduled to be discussed today.
HB1051 Adds licensing process for marijuana transporters. Status: Assigned to the House Rules Committee, scheduled to be discussed today.
HB1057 Specifies how background checks are to be completed. Status: Assigned to the House Rules Committee, scheduled to be discussed today.
SB238 Delays states medical marijuana program until 180 days after the federal government revises federal law to allow medical marijuana nationwide. Status: Assigned to the Senate Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee, no action scheduled.
SB243 Amends funding so that vocational education funding goes to Department of Career Education instead. Status: Assigned to the Senate Education Committee, scheduled to be discussed today.
SB254 Drops provision allowing dispensaries to grow a limited number of marijuana plants. Status: Assigned to the Senate Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee, no action scheduled.
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker
Full Article: Slew Of Marijuana Bills Headed To Committee Today
Author: Scott Liles
Contact: The Baxter Bulletin
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Website: The Baxter Bulletin
