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Committee advances bill to create medical marijuana oversight committee
Summary
Sen. Linda Pondexter Chesterfield introduced Senate Bill 226 to place medical marijuana under Legislative Council review by creating a Medical Marijuana Oversight Committee; the Senate Agriculture, Forestry & Economic Development Committee passed the measure by voice vote with no recorded opposition.
Senate Bill 226, introduced by Sen. Linda Pondexter Chesterfield of Senate District 30, would establish a Medical Marijuana Oversight Committee under Legislative Council to review issues surrounding Arkansas’s medical marijuana industry.
Chesterfield told the committee the industry "is a $200,000,000 industry" and said it currently lacks standing legislative oversight beyond the ad committee. She said the proposed oversight committee would be established by rule and would review the range of issues tied to medical marijuana regulation.
Members of the Senate Agriculture, Forestry & Economic Development Committee voiced support during the discussion, calling the proposal routine oversight similar to that applied to other state-regulated industries. No members spoke against the bill during the hearing.
The chair called for a motion, which was made and seconded; the committee approved the bill by voice vote with members responding "aye" and no opposition recorded. Senator Chesterfield thanked the committee after passage.
The meeting record shows the bill passed out of the committee by voice vote; no roll-call tally was provided in the transcript.
The committee also noted a scheduling conflict with the Transportation Committee that may change future meeting times and asked members to check the calendar for updates.
