Governor Andy Beshear has promised for months to take action on cannabis reform
Receiving a report from an advisory committee prompted Kentucky’s governor to take a much more open stance on medical marijuana. Since the advice appears to be positive to many residents, the governor said some action on the market could be coming soon.
An executive order from Governor Andy Beshear in the middle of this year led to the creation of the 17-member advisory group. The committee’s primary intent is to get all kinds of recommendations regarding possible reforms, including those that could be enacted administratively. The panel since then seems to be quite busy, holding various public meetings to hear testimony on the subject.
During a press conference yesterday, the governor said that the committee’s “initial report” arrived on his desk. The document is based on the experience of people (pharmacists and doctors), as well as advocates and people who have been able to change their quality of life thanks to the benefits of medical marijuana.
“It’s also based on the input of meetings that were conducted all across Kentucky, because we were committed to listening to the people of Kentucky-which parts of the General Assembly have refused to,” Beshear said. “With that information, we’ll be making final determinations on actions that we could take, but there will be some actions forthcoming.”
The governor has made it clear that he supports legalizing medical marijuana, although it is not yet known if the legislature’s support is needed for him to enact reform to make it available to patients. This could mean that the next action he refers to will be more limited in scope. Be that as it may, the Bluegrass State may be closer to welcoming this valued market.