An attempt to bring medical marijuana to Kentucky faces obstacles in the Senate
The Kentucky Senate will now be the next destination for a bill to legalize medical marijuana. The move comes after the legislation received the go-ahead from the House of Representatives last Thursday.
Jason Nemes is the representative behind the effort, a measure that had the approval of nearly 60 voters after it received the green light from the Kentucky House Judiciary Committee the week before last.
In 2020, a similar version of this bill failed to achieve sufficient success in the Senate, even though the House gave it full support. Last year, Nemes reintroduced the legislation in the session, but it too was unable to advance any further. The representative hopes that 2022 will be a positive year and that the Senate can give more consideration to this proposal.
“This is Kentucky grown, Kentucky processed, Kentucky tested,” Nemes said ahead of the vote. “Grown by Kentucky farmers on Kentucky land with Kentucky seeds for our Kentucky brothers and sisters and the Kentucky patients from across the Commonwealth.”
HB 136 intends to establish a program that would eliminate both the smoking of cannabis flowers and the domestic cultivation of marijuana. While the bill would allow whole plant products, patients are required to vaporize.
All those seeking to obtain a marijuana certificate must register. Conditions that are eligible for medical use of the plant include cancer, seizure disorders such as epilepsy, PTSD, multiple sclerosis, chronic nausea, and cyclic vomiting, as well as chronic, severe, intractable, or debilitating pain.
Physician assistants would also have the opportunity to apply for certification to be authorized to prescribe cannabis.