Arkansas Now Allows Medical Cannabis Users To Own Guns As New Law Takes Effect

Starting on Tuesday, a recently approved law in Arkansas giving medical cannabis patients the right to have a concealed carry permits for firearms is taking effect, reported Marijuana Moment.

Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R) signed the bill in April, just days after the state Senate gave it the green light a 26-3 vote.

Prior to that, HB1784, sponsored by Rep. Aaron Pilkington (R), quickly passed on the full House floor as well.

The bill amends the law concerning concealed handguns while protecting the "rights of medical marijuana patients and caregivers to obtain a license to carry a concealed handgun."

In 2016, the majority of Arkansas voters approved a medical marijuana ballot initiative — Amendment 98, while the legislatures made revisions to the measure in 2017.

"Amendment 98 had language that said no patient's right or privilege should be infringed upon on the basis of having medical marijuana," Pilkington told KATV earlier. "However, this wasn't extended to concealed carry holders."

The newly enacted law suggests that using medical marijuana does not deem an individual as a chronic or habitual user of "a controlled substance to the extent that his or her normal faculties are impaired."

Under the new legislation, the Department of Health will be forbidden to reveal a person's patient status to the state police as part of any investigation into concealed carry eligibility.

Arkansas Love Medical Marijuana But Weed Still Off Limits

While there has been a remarkable surge in medical marijuana sales in the first half of 2023, with consumers spending $141 million on products, recreational cannabis use remains off limits for Arkansans.

A proposed measure to legalize adult-use cannabis in Arkansas was blocked from appearing on the state's ballot last fall.

The State Board of Election Commissioners rejected the initiative on the grounds that the ballot title is not clear enough when it comes to the impact of the amendment, citing the issue of the level of THC allowed in edible marijuana products.

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Photo: Courtesy of DG-RA and lindsayfox by Pixabay