Katelyn Baker
Well-Known Member
The Arkansas Senate sent two medical marijuana-related bills to the desk of Gov. Asa Hutchinson on Thursday, while the House of Representatives approved three more bills and referred them to the upper chamber for more consideration.
House Bill 1556, approved by the Senate with a 31-0 vote, would prohibit physicians from using telemedicine to certify that a patient has a medical condition that qualifies them for participation in the state's medical marijuana program.
All three senators with ties to the Twin Lakes Area — Scott Flippo of Bull Shoals, Missy Irvin of Mountain View and Linda Collins-Smith of Pocahontas — voted in favor of HB1556.
The Senate also approved House Bill 1402, which would allow the Arkansas Department of Health to reschedule marijuana if the federal government does so first. The vote on that bill was also 31-0, with all three area senators voting in its favor. Bryan King of Green Forest was the lone senator to not vote on either bill.
Marijuana-related bills advancing from the House to the Senate includes proposals on taxing medical marijuana, setting up marijuana business licenses on the July 1 fiscal calendar the state uses, and allowing the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Commission to issue temporary business licenses to an existing dispensary or cultivation facility.
House Bill 1580 would place a 4 percent tax on sales by cultivation facilities and a 4 percent tax on sales by dispensaries. The bill was approved with a 77-3 vote with 18 legislators not voting and two more voting present. Local representatives Nelda Speaks of Mountain Home, Jack Fortner of Yellville, Michelle Gray of Melbourne and Scott Baltz of Pocahontas each voted for the bill, which was assigned to the Senate Revenue and Taxation Committee.
The bill's sponsor, Doug House of North Little Rock, said that the percentages used in the bill were determined by the Department of Finance and Administration to cover the cost of operating the program.
House Bill 1436 would require that all dispensary or cultivation facility licenses expire on June 30 and must be renewed before July 1. The bill was approved 84-1, with 15 representatives not voting. All four area representatives voted in favor of the bill, which has been assigned to the Senate Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee.
House Bill 1584, which was approved 84-1, would allow the marijuana commission to issue a temporary license to a dispensary or cultivation facility when the original licensee ceases to be in actual control of the business. Speaks, Fortner, and Baltz all voted in favor of the bill while Payton was one of 15 legislators that did not vote. HB1584 was assigned to the Senate's Public Health Committee.
Flippo's district includes most of Baxter and Marion counties, while Irvin's district includes parts of Baxter, Stone and Fulton counties. Collins-Smith's district includes parts of Fulton and Izard counties.
Speaks' district includes northern Baxter County, while Fortner's district includes Marion County and part of Baxter County. Payton's district includes parts of Baxter and Stone counties, while Baltz's district includes parts of Baxter and Fulton counties. Gray's district includes parts of Stone and Izard counties.
Any legislation changing the voter-approved Arkansas Medical Marijuana Amendment must be approved by a two-thirds majority in each chamber before being submitted to the governor's office to be signed into law.
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Two Marijuana Bills Head To Governor, Three To Senate
Author: Scott Liles
Contact: The Baxter Bulletin
Photo Credit: None Found
Website: The Baxter Bulletin
House Bill 1556, approved by the Senate with a 31-0 vote, would prohibit physicians from using telemedicine to certify that a patient has a medical condition that qualifies them for participation in the state's medical marijuana program.
All three senators with ties to the Twin Lakes Area — Scott Flippo of Bull Shoals, Missy Irvin of Mountain View and Linda Collins-Smith of Pocahontas — voted in favor of HB1556.
The Senate also approved House Bill 1402, which would allow the Arkansas Department of Health to reschedule marijuana if the federal government does so first. The vote on that bill was also 31-0, with all three area senators voting in its favor. Bryan King of Green Forest was the lone senator to not vote on either bill.
Marijuana-related bills advancing from the House to the Senate includes proposals on taxing medical marijuana, setting up marijuana business licenses on the July 1 fiscal calendar the state uses, and allowing the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Commission to issue temporary business licenses to an existing dispensary or cultivation facility.
House Bill 1580 would place a 4 percent tax on sales by cultivation facilities and a 4 percent tax on sales by dispensaries. The bill was approved with a 77-3 vote with 18 legislators not voting and two more voting present. Local representatives Nelda Speaks of Mountain Home, Jack Fortner of Yellville, Michelle Gray of Melbourne and Scott Baltz of Pocahontas each voted for the bill, which was assigned to the Senate Revenue and Taxation Committee.
The bill's sponsor, Doug House of North Little Rock, said that the percentages used in the bill were determined by the Department of Finance and Administration to cover the cost of operating the program.
House Bill 1436 would require that all dispensary or cultivation facility licenses expire on June 30 and must be renewed before July 1. The bill was approved 84-1, with 15 representatives not voting. All four area representatives voted in favor of the bill, which has been assigned to the Senate Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee.
House Bill 1584, which was approved 84-1, would allow the marijuana commission to issue a temporary license to a dispensary or cultivation facility when the original licensee ceases to be in actual control of the business. Speaks, Fortner, and Baltz all voted in favor of the bill while Payton was one of 15 legislators that did not vote. HB1584 was assigned to the Senate's Public Health Committee.
Flippo's district includes most of Baxter and Marion counties, while Irvin's district includes parts of Baxter, Stone and Fulton counties. Collins-Smith's district includes parts of Fulton and Izard counties.
Speaks' district includes northern Baxter County, while Fortner's district includes Marion County and part of Baxter County. Payton's district includes parts of Baxter and Stone counties, while Baltz's district includes parts of Baxter and Fulton counties. Gray's district includes parts of Stone and Izard counties.
Any legislation changing the voter-approved Arkansas Medical Marijuana Amendment must be approved by a two-thirds majority in each chamber before being submitted to the governor's office to be signed into law.
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Two Marijuana Bills Head To Governor, Three To Senate
Author: Scott Liles
Contact: The Baxter Bulletin
Photo Credit: None Found
Website: The Baxter Bulletin
