Cannabis News

Arkansas Supreme Court Ruling Could Let Lawmakers Roll Back Medical Marijuana Access

Published

7 minutes ago

February 7, 2026

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“What bothers me the most is that it was applied retroactively, not prospectively. It reversed 115 years of work by the people of the state of Arkansas on these initiatives.”

Antointe Graje, Arkansas Attorney

After Emily Williams was diagnosed with cancer in 2010, she struggled to find medication that alleviated the side effects of chemotherapy, such as nausea and loss of appetite. Eventually, he tried marijuana and it gave him relief.

“I was grateful,” he said. “I felt grateful.”

That experience inspired the Fayetteville retiree to create Arkansas’ medical marijuana program in 2016 after voters approved a constitutional amendment in 2016.

That program has become a billion-dollar industry, with more than 115,000 patients using marijuana to treat conditions ranging from Crohn’s disease to post-traumatic stress disorder. But a murky legal battle over who can change citizen-directed amendments to the Arkansas Constitution cast doubt on the program’s future.

The court ruling is part of a nationwide battle over citizen-driven ballot measures in states like Missouri and Nebraska. Arkansas is one of 24 states that allows citizens to propose state laws, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Since the state’s first dispensary opened in 2019, thousands of Arkansans have joined the program, including Christopher Duffy, a 35-year-old Fayetteville resident who said medical marijuana helped his anxiety and sobriety. Duffy said he would be committed to sobriety if less marijuana is available, but he worries about others.

“I’m lucky to have a support system like that, where when things got tough or I started to struggle, I could reach out,” she said. “There are those who don’t have that and I fear for them.”

Williams, 69, fears losing access to medical marijuana, which she uses to manage the ongoing complications of her disease.

“If I’m not able to use this, my life would be completely and utterly negative,” he said.

Those concerns were sparked by the Arkansas Supreme Court’s 74-year-old precedent in December, with a ruling declaring that lawmakers can change citizen-led constitutional amendments with a two-thirds vote: 67 votes in the House and 24 votes in the Senate.

The decision stemmed from a case challenging the Legislature’s passage of laws amending the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Amendment. However, the authority recently confirmed by lawmakers extends beyond medical marijuana to other citizen-directed amendments, including those affecting casinos.

David Couch, a Little Rock attorney who helped write the medical-marijuana amendment, said the court’s decision “absolutely” adds more pressure for a new ballot measure it protects to succeed.

If the measure proposed by Save AR Democracy makes it to the 2026 ballot and is approved by voters, it would prohibit lawmakers from amending the Arkansas Constitution themselves and require voters to approve any new law that affects the initiative and referendum process.

While he understands how the court reached its conclusion, Couch said the justices erred in their application.

“What bothers me the most is that they applied it retroactively, not prospectively,” he said. “The people of the state of Arkansas overturned 115 years of work on these initiatives.”

Rep. Aaron Pilkington, R-Knoxville, said the court’s ruling confirmed what he had long believed to be true; however, he does not believe that the members of parliament are doing “little by little” to change the public corrections.

Pilkington took office in 2017 after 53 percent of voters approved medical marijuana. While Republicans were generally not in favor of it, Pilkington noted that party leaders were not standing in the way of what voters wanted.

“I think we’ve shown a track record that, even though the Legislature may not necessarily agree with it, they’re going to do what the voters want,” he said. “If we didn’t, then if we tried to force this issue or try to cause this and that, I think you would see the consequences in the next election.”

Pilkington has since championed medical marijuana legislation, including an unsuccessful effort to allow dispensaries to deliver. Pilkington said there may be some changes to the program, but he’s not entirely open to changing it because of growing sales revenue that funds certain programs.

Arkansans are expected to spend a record $291.1 million on medical marijuana in 2025, according to the state Department of Finance and Administration. Legislation passed last year allows tax revenue from those sales to support free breakfast for students.

While it may be used sparingly, the power to amend the state constitution can be useful to address policies that aren’t working as intended or to reflect a change in perspective since an amendment was passed, Pilkington said.

It also allows lawmakers to address issues that need immediate attention instead of waiting two years to present a measure to voters, Senate President Pro Tempore Bart Hester said.

The Arkansas Constitution can be amended when voters approve a measure proposed by legislators or citizens who must qualify for the ballot by circulating petitions. The proposed amendments can be examined every two years in general elections.

Republicans currently hold large majorities in both the House and Senate, but Hester said the two-thirds vote is a “tremendous and difficult bar to meet,” regardless of which party holds the majority.

The Cave Springs Republican said lawmakers will use that authority only “when absolutely necessary” and will likely wait until the 2027 legislative session to review citizen-led amendments, such as those that have received heavy funding from out-of-state interests. Hester also mentioned revising measures related to medical marijuana and casinos as “big fixes” with multiple provisions.

“I think it might be reasonable for the Legislature to look at it a little at a time as opposed to holistically, and I think that’s the responsible thing to do,” he said.

Hester noted that lawmakers can only amend the marijuana amendment, not repeal it. This leaves room for the program to roll back or expand without being completely finished.

While the Legislature has no plans to disenfranchise voters, Duffy said he believes there are some lawmakers willing to do so, so he hopes the Save AR Democracy ballot measure succeeds.

By July 3, the group must collect 90,704 signatures to enter the ballot.

“I don’t see any intention of the Legislature to override the will of the people, but I do think there are some who are willing to do that and that’s what worries me,” Duffy said.

If that measure fails and lawmakers go into the 2027 legislative session with the amendment’s authority upheld by the court, Duffy said he would see medical marijuana taxes increase.

That could encourage patients to buy from neighboring states like Missouri, where recreational marijuana is also legal, to siphon revenue out of Arkansas, he said.

Williams is skeptical of the lawmakers’ cutbacks, saying he believes they intend to “destroy it to the point where it’s almost impossible to use.”

“I’d like to ask one of those lawmakers if they know what it’s like to get up in the morning and wonder how sick you’re going to feel that day,” he said.

This story was first published by the Arkansas Advocate.

Photo elements courtesy of the user rawpixel and Philip Steffan.

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Cannabis News

Arsenic contamination leads to recall of Lunaire products

Published

2 minutes ago

February 7, 2026

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Great White North Growers Inc. The Quebec producer has updated its recall of some of its Lunaire brand of dried cannabis products after tests showed high levels of arsenic, a toxic heavy metal. The recall, posted on Health Canada’s website on Jan. 15, was updated Tuesday to include more products in the company’s line.

The items were sold through authorized dealers in Quebec with the Société Québécoise du Cannabis (SQDC). They were also sold in the Yukon.

Arsenic is a naturally occurring element that can be harmful to human health if ingested at high levels. Long-term exposure has been linked to an increased risk of cancer and potential damage to the skin, lungs, heart, brain, kidneys and reproductive system, the statement said. It can also pose risks during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Officials said the recall came after Great White North Growers conducted additional non-routine testing on the lot, which revealed the contamination. A total of 2,916 units of the recalled products were sold from July 17, 2024 to January 29, 2026 through licensed retailers in Quebec and Yukon. In addition, 120 units of the recalled Lunaire Fleur de Lune dry cannabis product (3.5g; lot 1000765B; packaging date 11 NO 2024) were sold through Medicibis.

Cannabis News

New partnership to expand greenhouse drone distribution across Europe

Published

1 day ago

February 6, 2026

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GeoCue welcomes MOST Robotics to its global distribution network. Based in Germany and serving customers throughout Germany, Austria and Switzerland, MOST Robotics will offer TrueView GO LiDAR solutions and LP360 software, from GeoCue, to surveying, construction, forestry, agricultural and industrial inspection professionals looking for a complete and reliable workflow from data capture to delivery.

Founded in 2021 by Valentin Möller and Lennart Stollberg, MOST Robotics builds on deep UAV experience since 2015, offering integrated turnkey drone and sensor solutions, supported by technical consulting and first-class customer support. Their team works closely with end users to ensure technology works in real-world conditions, from flight planning to endpoint cloud processing, a full-service company for individual solutions.

MOST Robotics is expanding its portfolio of handheld SLAM LiDAR and LP360 software to directly respond to customer needs, especially for projects where flight restrictions, dense vegetation or indoor environments make aerial collection difficult. With TrueView GO and LP360, customers can complement drone surveys with ground-based SLAM capture, process aerial LiDAR and produce high-quality photogrammetric output. This approach supports rapid and accurate classification of large data sets and the creation of highly accurate digital terrain models, helping to reduce office processing time while improving the final quality of delivery.

Valentin Möller, CEO of MOST Robotics, commented: “GeoCue makes UAV LiDAR and SLAM bridges in a way that matches how our customers work in the real world. We spend a lot of time in the field with customers, which gives us practical feedback and clear ideas on what needs to be improved. GeoCue is open to this kind of input, and we’re excited to help shape each of our customers’ missions.”

Samuel Flick, GeoCue’s European Sales Manager, added: “We are delighted to welcome MOST Robotics to the GeoCue distribution network. Their technical depth and customer-first approach make them a strong partner as we continue to grow the LiDAR market in Europe. We look forward to supporting their team as they expand access to the TrueView product line, including aerial, handheld and LiDAR 360 mobile device software.”

For more information:
MOST robotics
https://mostrobotics.com/

GeoCue
https://geocue.com/

Cannabis News

USDA-APHIS grants non-regulated status to two gene-edited hemp varieties

Published

2 days ago

February 5, 2026

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USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) recently issued regulatory status review responses for two new gene-edited hemp varieties, determining that they are not subject to federal regulation under 7 CFR part 340. Developed by researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, these gene-edited plants have been found to have no increased risk of plant pests compared to conventional hemp. This federal clearance marks an important milestone in easing the path from laboratory to commercial cultivation of precision-bred industrial crops.

Badger PMR (Dust Resistant) has full dust resistance, and Badger Zero (Cannabinoid Free) is cannabinoid free. The main innovation involves the creation of hemp varieties that are unable to produce THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), the psychoactive compound found in cannabis. Using CRISPR gene-editing technology to turn off specific genes responsible for THC production, the UW-Madison team has solved a major hurdle for the industry. This genetic certainty prevents crops from being “hot” — the term used when THC levels accidentally exceed the legal limit of 0.3 percent — which previously forced farmers to destroy entire fields to comply with federal law.

Beyond THC removal, researchers have also engineered varieties with higher concentrations of CBG (cannabigerol), a non-psychoactive cannabinoid valued for its potential therapeutic benefits. These advances are expected to stabilize the hemp market, providing growers with reliable, high-value and legal-compliant varieties. With the regulatory green light from the USDA, these precision-bred hemp lines are poised to revitalize the industry, providing a safer and more profitable future for farmers across the United States.

For more information:
International Service for the Acquisition of Agricultural Biotechnology Applications
Email: (email protected)
isaaa.org/default.asp