State of Arkansas Archives: on Drugs
Bruce Westerman:
No medical marijuana; no decriminalization
Q: Do you support allowing doctors to prescribe marijuana to their patients for medicinal purposes?A: No.
Q: Do you support increasing Arkansas' tax on alcohol to expand substance abuse programs?
A: No.
Q: Should the possession of small amounts of marijuana be decriminalized?
A: No.
Source: Arkansas Congressional 2008 Political Courage Test
Nov 1, 2008
Chris Jones:
Develop a just and equitable cannabis industry
Chris Jones believes that now is the time for Arkansas to develop a just and equitable cannabis industry that
encourages economic growth, funds education programs, and will protect police officers and citizens alike.
Source: 2022 Arkansas Governor campaign website ChrisForGovernor.com
May 26, 2022
Conner Eldridge:
Spent 5 years as US Attorney taking on drug traffickers
A 37-year-old prosecutor who has spent the past five years in the headlines for taking on drug traffickers, child pornographers and other criminals, Conner Eldridge on paper has the ideal background to mount a bid for the US Senate next year.
But that resume is easily overshadowed by the political reality of just how dramatically Arkansas has moved from a Democratic stronghold in the South to a place where Republicans dominate up and down the ballot.
Eldridge's announcement last week that he is resigning as the U.S. attorney for western Arkansas was the strongest sign yet that he's inching toward a Democratic bid to unseat Republican US Sen. John Boozman.
But he's not ready to even acknowledge that possibility. Eldridge has the fundraising ability and the profile to run as the type of centrist candidate that's won voter support in the past.
Source: Commercial Appeal on 2016 Arkansas Senate race
Aug 15, 2015
Dan Whitfield:
Marijuana should be federally decriminalized
Ending the War on Drugs: I believe Marijuana should be federally decriminalized. It should be up to the voters in each state whether they want this drug to be illegal, whether medicinally or recreational. Let the people vote for the laws they adhere to.
The war on drugs has done nothing for Americans but create a way to mass incarcerate individuals and ruin lives. If you look at the success of states that have legalized marijuana you would understand why this is such an important issue.
Source: 2020 Arkansas Senate campaign website DanWhitCongress.us
Nov 30, 2019
Dan Whitfield:
Let voters in each state determine how to treat marijuana
I believe Marijuana should be federally decriminalized. It should be up to the voters in each state whether they want this drug to be illegal, whether medicinally or recreational. The war on drugs has done nothing for
Americans but create a way to mass incarcerate individuals and ruin lives. There is so much revenue gained from marijuana taxes that conservatives have come together with liberals to support legalization across more than half of the states.
Source: 2020 Arkansas Senate campaign website DanWhitCongress.us
Jun 8, 2020
Leslie Rutledge:
Hosted a yearly prescription Drug Abuse Summit
The Rutledge Record on Arkansas's Opioid Crisis:- Launched a first-in-the-nation Prescription for Life initiative to tackle opioid abuse by offering a free education to every high school student in Arkansas.
- Began Prescription Drug Take
Backs in all 75 counties.
- Partnered with the University of Arkansas to memorialize the victims of the opioid crisis, creating a permanent monument.
- Hosted a yearly prescription Drug Abuse Summit with over 1,000 attendees.
Source: 2021 Arkansas Governor campaign website LeslieRutledge.com
Nov 21, 2021
Mark West:
Marijuana is not a gateway drug
Q: Do you support or oppose the statement, "Marijuana is a gateway drug"?
A: Oppose
Source: OnTheIssues interview of 2018 Arkansas governor candidate
Apr 28, 2018
Mike Beebe:
Heavier penalties for drug trade; but not for possession
Our drug statutes must put a stronger emphasis and heavier penalties on those involved with the drug trade, instead of giving equally harsh sentences to those merely arrested for mere possession or use. Previous legislatures have built a grid of
sentencing guidelines, a grid that is often manipulated or ignored to put away offenders for even longer stretches of time. Those guidelines must be more closely followed, or perhaps those jurisdictions that frequently exceed the grid should share in th
cost of incarceration with our state. My proposed budget adds more than $4 million to help accommodate the Dept. of Community Correction's anticipated larger role.The North Little Rock Police Chief said: "We're not talking about being tough on crime,
or soft on crime; we're talking about being smart on crime." When it comes to criminal activity, we've got to make sure that the bad guys who will hurt you--the violent criminals or the career criminals--are the ones we lock away and save the beds for.
Source: 2011 Arkansas State of the State Address
Jan 11, 2011
Mike Huckabee:
Treatment for drug use instead of incarceration
We'll ask for drug courts to be expanded because it makes more sense to treat people with a drug problem rather than simply incarcerating them and putting them in a place where their problems are not dealt with. That's one of our initiatives.
Source: 2001 State of the State address to the Arkansas legislature
Jan 9, 2001
Natalie James:
Decriminalize marijuana; expunge marijuana-related offenses
The candidate listed stances including health care issues such as lowering the prices of prescription drug prices; criminal justice reform, such as decriminalizing
marijuana and expunging the records of those with marijuana-related offenses; and education investment and reform as among her top priorities.
Source: El Dorado News on 2022 Arkansas Senate race
Jun 16, 2021
Tom Cotton:
Stiffer penalties for deceptively trafficking in fentanyl
U.S. Senators Tom Cotton (R-AR), Kelly Loeffler (R-GA), and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) introduced the Zero Tolerance for Deceptive Fentanyl Trafficking Act. The bill would increase penalties for fentanyl traffickers who intentionally misrepresent the drug
to unknowing customers. "Drug dealers who peddle fentanyl know just how deadly it is, but the worst of them lace other drugs with it and then sell their poison to unknowing customers. By tricking their victims into buying much more potent drugs than
expected, these dealers often kill their customers. We shouldn't have any tolerance for such a fatal act of deception," said Cotton.
Under this legislation, dealers who intentionally misrepresent their product as a non-fentanyl substance would face
a 20-year sentence. If the dealers intentionally included fentanyl to cause death--often because they want to increase the reputation of their product's potency--then the offense becomes death penalty eligible.
Source: Senate office press release on 2020 Arkansas Senate race
Feb 27, 2020
Page last updated: Feb 18, 2023