LITTLE ROCK — The Arkansas Senate has passed two bills aimed at restricting medical marijuana's desirability to children by limiting manufacture and processing of edible marijuana and by restricting marijuana advertising.
The two bills passed Tuesday both codify rules already spelled out by the state's Alcoholic Beverage Control division.
[RELATED: Complete Democrat-Gazette coverage of medical marijuana in Arkansas]
One bill says medical marijuana cannot be manufactured in a way that would appeal to children, such as in cartoon character shapes or in "familiar" foods like candy or brownies. It does not regulate home use of edible marijuana products. The bill passed 26-2.
The second bill, passed unanimously, regulates marijuana advertising including by requiring health risk statements in ads to dispensaries and prohibiting advertising near schools and in programming that might be seen by children.
The bills have been sent to the House.