HB1784

House Bill 1784 seeks to amend Arkansas law to ensure that individuals who are medical marijuana patients or caregivers are not disqualified from obtaining a concealed handgun license based solely on that status. The bill mandates that the Director of the Division of Arkansas State Police must not consider an applicant's participation in the state's medical marijuana program when reviewing eligibility for a concealed carry license. Furthermore, it clarifies that holding a medical marijuana registry identification card does not constitute chronic or habitual abuse of a controlled substance for the purposes of permit applications. The legislation also prohibits the Department of Health from disclosing the identities of registry cardholders to the Arkansas State Police for background check purposes related to concealed carry permits. This act aims to protect the Second Amendment rights of patients and caregivers who use medical marijuana in accordance with the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Amendment of 2016.