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VietnameseGriffin: ‘Arkansas led the way in successfully banning these products, and it’s now time for Congress to take action’
LITTLE ROCK – Attorney General Tim Griffin issued the following statement after leading a letter to congressional leaders urging them to clarify the definition of “hemp,” which bad actors have exploited due to a perceived loophole in the 2018 Farm Bill:
“Today I, along with Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita, Connecticut Attorney General William Tong, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, and a bipartisan coalition of 35 other attorneys general, have asked Congress to take immediate action to clarify the federal definition of hemp and prevent the continued sale of unregulated, intoxicating THC products.
“Since the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, hemp-derived THC products—often more potent than marijuana—have flooded the market due to a misinterpretation of the bill’s language. These synthetic cannabinoids, including delta-8, delta-10, THC-O, and others, are being sold in gas stations, convenience stores, and online retailers across the country, frequently in packaging purposefully designed to appeal to children.
“These products are being manufactured and sold without consistent age restrictions, labeling standards, or safety requirements. In some states, poison control centers have reported alarming increases in pediatric exposures to these substances.
“Arkansas led the way in successfully banning these products, and it’s now time for Congress to take action.”
In its letter, the coalition of attorneys general urges the leaders of the Senate Committee on Appropriations; the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry; the House Committee on Appropriations; and the House Committee on Agriculture to clarify the federal definition of hemp during the Fiscal Year 2026 appropriations process or through the reauthorization of the Farm Bill.
In addition to Attorney General Griffin, the attorneys general of the following states and territories also signed the letter: Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, U.S. Virgin Islands, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, and Wyoming.
To read the letter, click here.
To download a PDF version of this release, click here.
About Attorney General Tim Griffin
Tim Griffin was sworn in as the 57th Attorney General of Arkansas on January 10, 2023, having previously served as the state’s 20th Lieutenant Governor from 2015-2023. From 2011-2015, Griffin served as the 24th representative of Arkansas’s Second Congressional District, where he served on the House Committee on Ways and Means, House Armed Services Committee, House Committee on Foreign Affairs, House Committee on Ethics and House Committee on the Judiciary while also serving as a Deputy Whip for the Majority.
Griffin is currently an officer in the Arkansas Army National Guard and holds the rank of colonel. Griffin served as an officer in the U.S. Army Reserve Judge Advocate General’s (JAG) Corps for more than 28 years. In 2005, Griffin was mobilized to active duty as an Army prosecutor at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, and served with the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) in Mosul, Iraq.
His previous assignments include serving as the Commander of the 2d Legal Operations Detachment in New Orleans, Louisiana; the Commander of the 134th Legal Operations Detachment at Fort Bragg, North Carolina; and as a Senior Legislative Advisor to the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness at the Pentagon. Griffin earned a master’s degree in strategic studies as a Distinguished Honor Graduate from the U.S. Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania.
Griffin also served as U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, and Special Assistant to the President and Deputy Director of Political Affairs for President George W. Bush; Special Assistant to Assistant Attorney General Michael Chertoff, Criminal Division, U.S. Department of Justice; Special Assistant U.S. Attorney, U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Arkansas; Senior Investigative Counsel, Government Reform and Oversight Committee, U.S. House of Representatives; and Associate Independent Counsel, Office of Independent Counsel David M. Barrett, In re: HUD Secretary Henry Cisneros.
Griffin is a graduate of Magnolia High School, Hendrix College in Conway, and Tulane Law School in New Orleans. He attended graduate school at Oxford University. He is admitted to practice law in Arkansas (active) and Louisiana (inactive). Griffin lives in Little Rock with his wife, Elizabeth, a Camden native, and their three children.
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