With House Bill 136 — the medical marijuana bill — likely not passing this legislative session, Gov. Andy Beshear mentioned that he might be open to issuing an executive order to legalize cannabis in Kentucky during his Thursday update on April 7.
“We’re going to explore that,” Beshear said. “First, we should. It is time for the legislature to pass medical marijuana. You see people from every part of every spectrum that are in favor of this.”
Beshear elaborated that medical marijuana is something that could provide benefits to a wide variety of people. Everyone from a veteran dealing with PTSD to someone that has glaucoma to someone that might use marijuana as an alternative to opioid pain medications.
“It is medical marijuana,” Beshear said. “It is regulated.”
One of the hold-ups in the legislature is that there needs to be more research. Northern Kentucky Rep. Kim Moser (R-Taylor Mill) introduced legislation this session that would set up a research commission. House Bill 604 would put in place a commission that will study cannabis and cannabis derivatives for treating medical conditions and diseases.
“This convenes researchers and scholars from across the state on this issue so we can reduce bottlenecks in the research and regulatory processes,” Moser said. “Our goal is to figure out what conditions cannabis can treat, and by doing so, make Kentucky a national leader in research, since only one other university has a similar program.”
But Beshear believes that if that’s the thing that’s stopping medical marijuana, he thinks his administration might be able to do it.
“As governor, I am for medical marijuana, and I will continue to push it until we make it a reality,” Beshear said.
Moser’s colleague in the House, Rep. Rachel Roberts (D-Newport), introduced legislation earlier in the session that would not only legalize medical marijuana but would also legalize recreational as well. However, recreational marijuana seems a far way off in Kentucky, especially since Kentucky is one of the last states to hold out on medical marijuana.
But, for Roberts, even House Bill 136 isn’t enough, as it wouldn’t expunge criminal records of those already charged with marijuana crimes, which is something her legislation would do.
“If passed, House Bill 136 would be the most restrictive medical cannabis bill in the United States,” Roberts said last month. “I would love to see it include many more diagnoses. For instance, ALS is not included as a diagnosis. Parkinson’s Disease is not included as a diagnosis.”