Kentucky gov: New center won’t slow medical cannabis review

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said Thursday that a newly created cannabis research center won’t slow his review of whether he has the authority to singlehandedly legalize medical marijuana — a decision that’s likely to come this summer.

The governor said he sees value in the cannabis center’s formation, but added some lawmakers used it as a tactic to successfully block a bill that would have made medical marijuana legal. Beshear said he won’t wait for the center to do cannabis studies before deciding whether to take action.

“I think we need to move toward legalization, even as the center gets up and going,” Beshear said at his weekly news conference. “There’s a lot of research out there already. It’s OK that we want to be a part of future research. But it shouldn’t be used as an excuse to stall that momentum.”

The governor laid out a timetable for his review, which could lead to a decision on any executive action within months.

Beshear instructed his legal team to analyze potential options for executive action that could create a framework to make medical cannabis available for people suffering from certain medical conditions. [Read more at ABC News]