A federal lawsuit filed in Little Rock intends to use anti-crime statutes to go after medical marijuana dispensaries in Arkansas. The outcome of this effort may determine how easily residents of the state can obtain medical marijuana.
The July 12 lawsuit claims that the defendants engaged in a deceptive trade practice by selling medical marijuana of lower potency than advertised. Besides, the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) applies to the marijuana industry because of the federal prohibition on the commercial cultivation, distribution, and sale of marijuana.
If the lawsuit is successful, the most significant impact could come from its Prayer for Relief section, which asks the court to “enjoin the RICO Defendants from continuing to engage in racketeering activities to enforce strong federal policy that seeks to reduce the cultivation and distribution of medical marijuana through a complete prohibition of those activities.”
There is a possibility that this will put an end to the use of medical marijuana in the state of Arkansas. To combat criminal organizations, RICO was first passed into law. Later, drug trafficking was added to the scope of the law.
The lawsuit names Steep Hill, Inc., a California-based marijuana testing business, and Steep Hill, Arkansas, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Steep Hill, Inc. Steep Hill Arkansas’s co-owners, Dr Brandon Thorton and Brent Whittington, are also mentioned. Osage Creek Cultivation, Bold Team LLC, Natural State Medicinal, and “John Does 1-10” are some marijuana cultivators cited in the lawsuit.
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To paraphrase the lawsuit, the John Does are the law firms, accountants, and financial corporations that helped the marijuana testing and growing companies. Petitioners Pete Edwards, Don Plumlee, and Jakie Hanan want their claim recognized as a class action on behalf of themselves and “all others similarly situated.”
All three people had bought marijuana that was weaker than promised at some point. The plaintiffs said they had purchased marijuana from several vendors and noted that some of it appeared weaker than others.
According to the lawsuit, some of the products contained THC levels that were 25% lower than promised and, in one example, as high as 52% lower.
Frequently Asked Questions About Marijuana
1. What is Marijuana?
Marijuana refers to the dried cannabis plant, which includes the flowers, leaves, stems, and seeds. It is also called cannabis, weed, pot, and dope. There are more than 100 different chemicals in the cannabis plant (or cannabinoids).
These chemicals include tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which makes you feel high or changes your mind, and other active chemicals like cannabidiol (CBD). CBD does not make you feel bad, which means it does not give you a “high.”
2. Are cannabidiol and Marijuana the same? Is it legal in the US?
Cannabidiol is not the same thing as Marijuana (CBD). Marijuana is the cannabis plant’s dried flowers, leaves, stems, and seeds. CBD is a compound in the cannabis plant, along with THC (tetrahydrocannabinol). CBD by itself does not make you feel “high.” CBD can come from hemp or plants that are not hemp. Hemp is any part of a cannabis Sativa plant that has less than 0.3% THC.
3. What are the uses of Marijuana?
Cannabis has several uses. Joints, blunts, and bongs are smoked with Marijuana (pipes or water pipes). Marijuana can be infused in sweets like cookies, cakes, brownies and drinks. It can be vaped with e-cigarettes or other vaporizers. Marijuana cannabinoids can be extracted to generate oils and concentrates. “Dabbing” involves smoking marijuana oils, concentrates, and extracts. Each technique of taking Marijuana poses health concerns.
4. What is Medical Marijuana?
The marijuana plant or its chemicals are used to treat diseases or conditions. It is the same thing as Marijuana used for fun, but it is used for health reasons. More than 100 chemicals called cannabinoids can be found in the marijuana plant. They all have distinctive physiological effects.
The main chemicals used in medicine are delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). When people smoke Marijuana or eat foods with THC, they also get “high.”
5. What can medical Marijuana be used for?
Researchers are looking into whether medical Marijuana can help treat Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, Crohn’s disease, and a number of other diseases.
