Kentucky medical marijuana legalization bill takes big step, passes out of committee 15-1

2022 could be the year Kentucky legalizes medical marijuana if House Bill 136 continues its path through the legislature with solid Republican support.

The bill would legalize some forms of marijuana for medicinal uses in Kentucky, and passed the House judiciary committee with only one ‘no’ vote on Thursday night, 15-1. A similar bill passed the House in 2020, 65-30, but did not get taken up by a Senate committee for lack of caucus support and because of the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sponsor Rep. Jason Nemes, R-Louisville, carried the similar effort in 2020. He said that he’s confident it will become law this year, though leadership in the Senate has previously raised concerns about it. He expects a House floor vote on the legislation next week.

The legislation is quite “narrow,” per Nemes, who said that he worked with skeptical legislators between the 2020 session and today to make it more palatable to those who may have concerns.

Key regulations that make the bill more “narrow” than some other states that have legalized medical marijuana include provisions banning the smoking of marijuana and growing it yourself; a clause that bars “cross-pollination” between farmers, processors, dispensers and safety testers; as well as checks that ensure a physician-patient relationship is “bonafide,” per Nemes. [Read More @ Lexington Herald Leader]