Senate OKs 4 bills to add to pot law

The Senate on Thursday approved four bills that would alter the 2016 voterapproved Medical Marijuana Amendment:

Voted 34- 0 for House Bill 2190 by Rep. Clint Penzo, R- Springdale, to require medicalmarijuana dispensaries to sell vaping equipment and employ pharmacist consultants. It also would bar dispensaries from supplying, possessing, manufacturing, delivering, transferring, or selling “marijuana paraphernalia that requires the combustion of marijuana to be properly utilized, including pipes, water pipers, bongs, chillums, rolling papers, and roach clips.”

Voted 25- 1 for House Bill 2094 by Rep. Doug House, R- North Little Rock, to authorize the acquisition of seeds, cuttings, clones and plants by a cultivation facility.

Voted 33- 0 for House Bill 1991 by Rep. Robin Lundstrum, R- Springdale, to bar medical- marijuana vending machines at dispensaries. The bill also would prohibit people from using marijuana or being intoxicated by the drug while at a dispensary or cultivation facility. Those facilities would be required to make sure that all usable marijuana or products containing the drug are packaged or provided in childproof packaging.

Voted 35- 0 for House Bill 1935 by Rep. Mark Lowery, R- Maumelle, to specify that a public school isn’t required to allow a qualifying patient who is a student to be on school grounds, attend a school event or participate in extracurricular activities in violation of discipline policies if a school office has a good- faith belief that the patient is impaired.

All the bills go to the governor except HB1935, which goes back to the House to consider a Senate- approved amendment.

— Michael R. Wickline