Kentucky’s governor has signed a measure legalizing marijuana, making the state the 38th in the country to do so. Gov. Andy Beshear (D) signed the measure from Sen. Stephen West (R) into law on Friday, just one day after the House approved it. The governor had rallied citizens to put pressure on their state representatives to approve the legislation to make Kentucky medicinal cannabis legal. “Far too many of our people face the challenge of having chronic or terminal diseases like cancer, or those like our veterans suffering from PTSD, or Kentuckians living with epilepsy, seizures, Parkinson’s, or other conditions,” Beshear said. “These people want and deserve safe and effective treatment.”
Medical marijuana advocates are hopeful about the year ahead. Similar measures had been advanced by the House in previous sessions, only to be stalled in the Senate—but things were different this time, with the other body taking the lead in moving the matter forward with Kentucky medicinal cannabis.
“Addiction is one of the primary reasons I sponsored and moved this bill forward.” Other states that have implemented this have seen not only a 20-30% reduction in opioid use, but also a 20-30% reduction in drug addiction,” West, the bill’s sponsor, said at a news conference with the governor on Friday. “If you haven’t noticed, Kentucky has a serious addiction problem, and I believe Senate Bill 47 and medical marijuana can help.”
Today’s signing ceremony for medical marijuana was many years and thousands of meetings in the making. We have more work to do on the regulations, etc.
— Jason Nemes (@jmnemes) March 31, 2023
But today was a good day.
Ice Cube – It Was A Good Day https://t.co/Bs4yGu8vAX via @YouTube
Rep. Jason Nemes (R), who has sponsored medical cannabis legislation in the House for several years, stated that “thousands and thousands of Kentuckians just want to be, and want to feel better—and this will help them with that.”
The House passed a medicinal cannabis legalization measure last year and in a previous session, but it died in the Senate with no action. That is why advocates began this debate on the Senate side.
Senate Majority Floor Leader Damon Thayer (R) has been a staunch opponent of broad medical cannabis policy reform, saying that it is a quick path to full adult-use legalization.
However, he recently stated that if the measure received enough support, he would not oppose medicinal cannabis in Kentucky.
During his State of the Commonwealth address in January, the governor urged the legislature to legalize medical cannabis “this session,” saying it is an important reform for the state to ensure it is “treating people right.”
History made. pic.twitter.com/K43LFdooIq
— Kentucky Democrats (@KyDems) March 31, 2023
The speech came after Beshear signed two executive orders in November that allowed patients who met certain criteria to possess up to eight ounces of medical cannabis legally acquired from dispensaries in other states, as well as control the sale of delta-8 THC products.
Attorney General Daniel Cameron (R) and other Republicans have criticized the governor for taking executive action, calling it overreach—despite the fact that the governor’s action appears to have politically forced lawmakers to address a problem they had previously ignored.
Unlike Governor Beshear’s unilateral executive orders related to marijuana, SB 47 was adopted by the people’s representatives who have been elected to enact public policy on behalf of Kentuckians. (2/3)
— Attorney General Daniel Cameron (@kyoag) March 31, 2023
Republican gubernatorial candidate Ryan Quarles, the state’s current agriculture commissioner, recently stated that if elected, he would work with legislators to legalize medicinal cannabis within his first year in office—though that is now a moot point.
Advocates have increased their efforts to persuade legislators to pass reform this session, with organizations such as Kentucky Moms for Medical Cannabis (KMMC) and Kentucky NORML stating that the issue has been stalled in the Bluegrass State for far too long.
The governor released a report from a medical marijuana advisory committee he formed last year, and he stated in September that he would examine their results as he considers executive actions for reform.
Last year, the governor hinted at plans to advance the medical marijuana issue administratively, criticizing the Senate for failing to listen to voters and “obstructing” change by refusing to even hold a hearing on a House-passed bill this year.
Beshear also said it’s “time we joined so many other states in doing the right thing” by legalizing marijuana nationwide in 2020. He went on to say that Kentucky farmers would be in a good position to cultivate and sell cannabis to other states.
The Kentucky legislature also sent a measure to the governor’s desk this month that would regulate the sale of delta-8 THC products. Beshear put the bill into law.
A lawmaker introduced legislation in January for the 2023 session that would place a marijuana legalization referendum on the ballot for voters to decide on, but it has not moved forward.
