Representative Robin Lundstrom (District 18) described HB 1452 to the House Judiciary Committee as a bill that clarifies language left out of the original medical marijuana statute and “puts it clearly in the law.” Lundstrom introduced and explained an amendment the committee adopted before approving the bill.

The bill and amendment aim to define terms and identify the packaging or containment that distinguishes legally obtained medical marijuana from illicit or out‑of‑state product, sponsors said. Lundstrom told the committee the bill resulted from conversations with both local law enforcement and members of the medical‑marijuana community: “This amendment basically is, results of both law enforcement and the medical marijuana community, clarifying the definitions,” she said. The sponsor said the bill does not change amounts or constitutional rights already granted for legal medical marijuana, but instead “codifies and defines” ambiguous language so police and courts have clearer guidance.

Critics during the public testimony urged care in drafting to avoid making access harder for medical patients. Sarah Moore, executive director of the Arkansas Justice Reform Coalition, said she and advocacy partners worry that extra packaging or containment rules could create new barriers for patients in rural areas who already face transportation and access challenges: “There are already, so many barriers to accessing medical marijuana for individuals … who have concerns around access to transportation, and getting to their medicine,” Moore told the committee. Moore also said she was glad some language had been changed in the amendment (the transcript shows the amendment replaced an “unopened container” requirement with an “uncontained” formulation) but asked for continued attention to access implications.

Law enforcement officials who spoke to the committee said the bill clarifies enforcement. Chief Sipes explained the bill’s intended operational effect for officers who stop motorists: the bill treats product inside the passenger compartment as “readily accessible,” not material stored in a trunk. “That would mean inside the vehicle, not in the trunk,” Sipes said when asked how the bill would define “readily accessible.”

Committee members asked whether the bill merely restates existing criminal prohibitions or actually creates new crimes. The sponsor and supporters repeatedly said the bill is intended to clarify and codify existing rules rather than to change penalties or amounts: “Right now, we're not changing any of those laws. We are codifying and defining,” Lundstrom said. The sponsor and law enforcement witnesses also emphasized officer discretion (for example, the ability to cite rather than arrest on some misdemeanor warrants) remained available under current practice.

After questions and public comment, the committee adopted the amendment Lundstrom presented and voted to pass HB 1452 as amended. The chair announced, “The ayes have it. Congratulations you have passed your bill.”

The committee record shows no change in possession amounts or constitutional rights; the bill’s public statements and the amendment focus on definitions and clarifying what counts as properly contained medical marijuana for enforcement and court purposes.