Committee approves clarifying enforcement rules for marijuana infractions

The Senate Agriculture, Forestry & Economic Development Committee approved House Bill 1525, a bill the sponsor described as negotiated with law enforcement and the marijuana industry to clarify enforcement authorities and penalties.

The sponsor said the bill lets officers issue a citation for public smoking of marijuana, clarifies that people may carry up to 5 ounces in a vehicle, and makes it unlawful to bring out‑of‑state marijuana into Arkansas for resale. Roger Smith of the Fraternal Order of Police testified that Amendment 98 did not specify law enforcement responses for use outside allowed contexts and that the bill appropriately sets the maximum penalty at a class C misdemeanor.

Committee members asked technical questions about the bill’s scope; no speakers registered against the bill at the hearing. The committee voted to do pass.

The bill’s language, as described during testimony, preserves the state’s medical marijuana program while adding tools for enforcement of public‑use and cross‑border provisions.