Our View

Our View

Propaganda persists with pot proponents

You know, it is annoying enough for those of us who have to put up with the fringe element of our state’s inhabitants, the radical groups that want to shove their liberal agendas down our throats but to learn a state lawmaker wants to use his political position to legalize the use of “pot” and override the wishes of the people shows just how sad things are getting in politics.

For years, we have been putting up with these liberal minority groups and organizations that have repeatedly tried to convince the majority of us to go along with there so-called marijuana for medical purposes. Come on folks, we all know that this is just the first step to further efforts to fully legalize pot smoking, and this Northwest Arkansas lawmaker by the name of Rep.

Dan Douglas, R-Bentonville, says if votes defeat the two ballot proposals legalizing the use of medical marijuana, he’ll offer legislation next year that would allow doctors to prescribe certain strains of the nowillegal pot.

Douglas seems to have this warped idea that it is time the Arkansas Legislature take steps to offer some leeway in legalizing the medical benefits of marijuana. If it so happens that the majority of Arkansas voters, once again, snub their noses up to these amendments it would be clear that Douglas’ intent is to ignore their wishes by trying to use his legislative influence to give these pot heads what they want.

It’s funny that as Douglas publicly said he would support legalizing pot that 84 other state legislators publicly declared their opposition to the two ballot measures legalizing medical marijuana in the state.

Sen. Jeremy Hutchinson, R-Little Rock, said lawmakers have concerns about the proposals contributing to the state’s opioid addiction epidemic, adding to state regulator cots and encouraging lawsuits against employers who take action against employees for marijuana use. We could not agree more.

As Hutchinson pointed out, no one wants to deny help to people who are suffering, “but we have to be smart in how we do it.”

Rep. Dan Douglas, R-Benton, said he also opposes the two issues.

It was interesting to note that Little Rock lawyer David Couch, the sponsor of issue 6, said that Douglas’ proposal would leave out too many people and said the timing of his announcement suggests it is just “a parlor trick”. He said, “The purpose is to distract the voters.”

The argument will be made by proponents of these two pot measures is that if Arkansans don’t address compassionate care they are doing a dis-service to the citizens.

These pot supporters are trying to convince all of us that there are too many people in Arkansas that have waited too long and are too sick for a watered-down bill to be proposed in January. They are also saying there it is time for Arkansas to catch up with the times and do what other states have done.

To that we say, this is nothing more than propaganda when we know there are ulterior motives to both of these attempts to legalize marijuana. We believe these pot measures will lead to serious and costly consequences in the future.