DEFEATED: Rep. Doug House (right) saw House committee reject his bill to expand legal uses of marijuana as medicine.

DEFEATED: Rep. Doug House (right) saw House committee reject his bill to expand legal uses of marijuana as medicine. Jessi Turnure/KARK

The House Rules Committee today killed legislation to expand the list of medical conditions for which medical marijuana may be prescribed in the face of strong opposition from Gov. Asa Hutchinson.

UPDATE: Meanwhile, the Arkansas Department of Health sent out a curious “Public Health Advisory”: The agency in charge of issuing medical marijuana cards says Arkansas should know about the “risks of harm associated with use of products derived from Cannabis, including marijuana and hemp, that claim to benefit health.” State Surgeon General Dr. Greg Bledsoe and state Drug Director Kirk Lane are “partnering” with ADH to issue the warning.

Jessi Turnure of KARK/Fox 16 reports that after Rep. Doug House presented his bill, no motion was made for a do-pass recommendation. He said later that effectively killed the bill. The Rules Committee is appointed by House Speaker Matthew Shepherd, so the unanimous rejection can be viewed as reflective of his wishes as well.

The bill added some 40 conditions to the existing list for marijuana use.


In addition to Hutchinson’s opposition, his Health Department director, Nathaniel Smith, and Surgeon General Gregory Bledsoe testified against the bill. Some dozen people testified in favor.

Turnure reports that advocates vowed to be back in 2020 with an initiated act to make recreational use of marijuana legal in the state.


KATV quoted Melissa Fults, long an advocate of medical marijuana:

“Arkansas politicians have ignored the will of the people, have failed to represent patients, and have given us no alternative but to push for full legalization and make the law strong enough that they cannot interfere with the program,”

It’s time.

The state’s many efforts to slow or stymie use of medical marijuana is only increasing support for it among the population at large, which every poll and the 2016 vote illustrate.

REEFER MADNESS UPDATE: Here’s the suspiciously timed news release on the dangers of pot and hemp from the state Department of Health: