President Donald Trump signed an executive order last week directing federal agencies to reclassify marijuana from a Schedule I to a Schedule III drug, a move drawing national attention and prompting questions about its impact in Arkansas.
State leaders say the order does not legalize marijuana and does not override Arkansas law.
“I don’t think anything in Arkansas has changed other than researchers who study the effects of medicine now will have more opportunity to study the effects of medical marijuana,” said Sen. Ronald Caldwell, R-Wynne, co-chair of the Medical Marijuana Oversight Subcommittee.
A spokesperson for Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin said in a statement that any federal reclassification would not alter or affect Arkansas’ constitutional provisions or state marijuana laws. Medical marijuana was legalized in Arkansas through a voter-approved amendment in 2016.
Caldwell said the executive order is focused on research rather than expanded access.
“If you listen to the statements that President Trump made, it was to try to develop new treatments for chronically ill patients, especially those with cancer,” Caldwell said. “The change in his executive order was strictly going to affect research.”
According to the Arkansas Department of Health, more than 113,000 Arkansans currently hold medical marijuana cards.
Caldwell said the most significant impact would be felt in laboratories, not dispensaries.
“Researchers will be able to obtain samples and study them, where in the past they have not,” he said.
In a statement, the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration, which serves as the liaison for the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Commission, said it is reviewing the order to determine any potential impact on the state and the medical marijuana industry.
“We don’t have any specifics at this time, as it will require additional review,” the agency said.
Officials say any changes in Arkansas would depend on how federal agencies implement the reclassification.
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