The Kenton County Mayors Group continued its discussion about the upcoming legalization of medical cannabis at their meeting Saturday morning. The discussion dovetailed with previous talks on how the new legislation will affect zoning in the county’s cities, but the mayors also heard about the various medical uses for cannabis from Dr. Michael Reeser, an Erlanger-based clinical psychologist who was knowledgeable about cannabis’s medical uses.
“I got called the weed guy already,” said Reeser, who just recently gave a similar talk before the Erlanger City Council. “I’m not the weed guy. I’m the mental health guy.”
Reeser is a veteran and former drug recognition expert for law enforcement, meaning that he was trained in how to spot the psychoactive effects of different drugs. Much of his work, he said, has focused on treating PTSD and other mental health disorders among veterans, law enforcement officers and first responders.
Reeser compared the effects of medical cannabis, which has been shown to help people suffering from some mental health disorders, as well as epilepsy, chronic pain, some cancers and seizure disorders, with other more commonly available anti-depressants. Reeser said that medical cannabis could be a viable alternative to conventional anti-depressants in some cases as its side effects and withdrawal symptoms were comparatively mild. He also argued that cannabis had a much lower lethality rate than other drugs, although he admitted that it wasn’t some miracle cure.
“Any tool that we can get available to these people that’s going to improve their quality of life, that’s going to reduce some symptoms and get them some alternative treatments, I think is going to be a good thing,” Reeser said.
Attendees had various questions about the form the medical cannabis could take, the process for getting a prescription and how it would affect employees on the job; on the last point, Reeser said that established regulations against operating machinery and working while intoxicated would likely cover medical cannabis, too.
Sharmili Reddy, the executive director of Kenton County Planning and Development Services, also continued discussions of zoning laws she’d begun at previous mayors meetings in light of the passage of House Bill 829, which adds some qualifications to Senate Bill 47, the original bill that established regulations for medical cannabis.
Medical cannabis businesses can begin operating on Jan. 1, 2025. Such businesses will be regulated under the Cabinet for Health and Family Services and the newly established Kentucky Medical Cannabis Program. The state is responsible for issuing certifications to businesses and professionals to grow, sell and prescribe cannabis, but cities are free to allow or prohibit the establishment of such businesses however they see fit.
One way they can establish this regulation is through zoning, which would dictate where in a city someone can establish a facility, if at all. Cities can also pass resolutions that would put the issue up to a popular vote. Finally, residents can trigger a recall election of a city’s established regulations with enough signatures.
House Bill 829 allowed businesses to begin applying for licenses this year, although they cannot start operating until Jan. 1, 2025, per Senate Bill 47. Businesses will not be able to operate in cities where the local government has voted against allowing medical cannabis.
Reddy said the first licensing cycle occurs this summer. Thus far, the Cabinet for Health and Family Services plans to issue 48 licenses to dispensaries throughout the state, four of which are in Northern Kentucky. Various other licenses for different types of businesses will also be issued.
License Category Number of Initial Licenses Tier I cultivator 10 Tier II cultivator 4 Tier III cultivator 2 Tier IV cultivator 0 Processor 10 Producer 0 Dispensary 48 Safety compliance facility no initial limit
Like in previous meetings, Reddy encouraged the officials to think critically about how they wanted to regulate–or disallow–the use of medical cannabis in their cities because if they fail to take action, there’s nothing stopping a business from establishing itself in a community.
“If you do not take action by Jan. 1 and the cabinet issues a license for business in your community, they will be grandfathered in,” Reddy said. “So you either have to take some action, or if you want to let the process slide, then the business that has a license will be able to go into your community.”
Independence Mayor Chris Reinersman, who serves as the chair of Kenton County Planning and Development Services management board, recommended that planning and development in conjunction with interested mayors come up with a template ordinance for cities by the fall to ensure the process moved efficiently, whatever cities ended up deciding.
“We would come up with an ordinance, and, basically, if anybody wants to be a part of this, we need your answers by Aug. 1 or whatever, just so we can get the ball rolling for the majority rather than getting lost in the minutia,” Reinersman said.
No official action on the matter was taken at the meeting.
The next meeting of the Kenton County Mayors Group will take place on Saturday, May 18, beginning at 9 a.m. at the Lakeside Park City Building on Buttermilk Pike.