The governor of Kansas got here out strongly towards the state’s ongoing criminalization of medical marijuana on Tuesday, blasting the “ridiculous” legal guidelines that criminalize sufferers. And following the speech, a prime GOP senator whose been skeptical about reform dedicated to no less than holding hearings on the problem this session.
In her annual State of the State tackle, Gov. Laura Kelly (D) stated that there’s a “commonsense approach to enhance well being care right here in Kansas—and that’s to lastly legalize medical marijuana.”
As a result of we’ve not but legalized medical marijuana, daily, 1000’s of Kansans are pressured to decide on between breaking the regulation and dwelling extra comfortably. It’s an insufferable selection – and an pointless one. #ksleg #SOTS
— Governor Laura Kelly (@GovLauraKelly) January 25, 2023
She cited a current instance of a terminally ailing man whose hospital room was raided by police and who was given a later-rescinded quotation to seem in court docket over possession of a hashish vape and extract that he was utilizing to deal with severe ache. That man has since handed away.
“Everyone knows that was ridiculous,” Kelly said. “This isn’t in charge the police—the police had been simply implementing the regulation. Which means the regulation itself is ridiculous.”
The governor stated that the state of affairs reminded her of an an op-ed {that a} totally different affected person—a self-described conservative and navy veteran who was battling most cancers—wrote final yr, addressing the state Senate and urging motion. The person, Dave Auble, refused to strive marijuana to ease his signs as a result of he didn’t need to break the regulation, and he died weeks after the op-ed was printed.
A fried of Auble’s was current within the legislative chamber throughout Kelly’s speech, and he obtained a standing ovation from lawmakers when the governor acknowledged him.
“On daily basis, 1000’s of Kansans are pressured to decide on between breaking the regulation and dwelling with out ache. It’s an insufferable selection—and a completely pointless one,” Kelly stated. “Let’s do higher in Dave’s honor. In honor of the youngsters experiencing a number of seizures per day. In honor of veterans struggling with PTSD. Let’s make Kansans’ lives higher, and let’s do it proper now.”
A rising majority of physicians imagine medical marijuana ought to be a part of ache administration and palliative care. On daily basis, 1000’s of Kansans are pressured to decide on between breaking the regulation and dwelling extra comfortably. It’s an insufferable selection – and an pointless one. #ksleg
— Kansas Dems (@KansasDems) January 25, 2023
“That’s to not say that legalizing medical marijuana gained’t be advanced. After all it can,” she continued. “We’ll must put in place efficient safeguards to make sure that it’s used appropriately and that it’s not abused. However I imagine, like with every little thing else, if you happen to and I work collectively, we are able to discover a honest and commonsense resolution.”
“Thirty-nine different states have figured this out. Absolutely, Kansas can too.”
After the speech, Senate President Ty Masterson (R) held a press convention the place he addressed the governor’s name for medical hashish legalization.
He was dismissive of the tales that Kelly shared about sufferers, calling one an “fascinating instance,” however not one which essentially strikes the needle for him. “I’m not going to be shamed into doing it from some dangerous examples.”
That stated, he acknowledged that there’s a “function for potential palliative care,” and “there’s gonna be payments, there’s gonna be hearings.”
That’s notable given Masterson’s resistance on the problem. A spokesperson for the Senate president stated final yr that medical hashish reform is “not a precedence,” although they acknowledged that the problem was “maturing.”
The story of the person whose hospital room was raided over hashish additionally prompted a renewed name for reform from Kansas Democrats, who’ve labored to advance medical marijuana legalization in current classes however haven’t been capable of get it enacted.
Now’s the time to legalize medical marijuana in Kansas. Throughout this upcoming legislative session, we should cross a invoice to help Kansans affected by power diseases. #ksleg #SOTS
— Kansas Senate Democrats (@kssenatedems) January 25, 2023
The Kansas Home of Representatives authorised a medical marijuana invoice in 2021, but it surely later stalled within the Senate. The latter chamber did maintain hearings on the problem, nevertheless.
Members of a particular committee held a closing assembly on medical marijuana points final month with the intent of informing reform laws that’s anticipated to be launched on this session.
The Particular Committee on Medical Marijuana, members of which toured a Missouri hashish cultivation facility final month as a part of their work, went over the wide selection of points that they’ve been discussing with officers and specialists in current months.
The bicameral committee, which was shaped in June, convened for an preliminary assembly in October that concerned state officers, regulation enforcement and an Oklahoma medical hashish regulator giving their perspective on the problem.
Probably complicating efforts to enact reform this session is the truth that Sen. Robert Olsen (R), who put important time into finding out medical hashish as a frontrunner of the particular panel, was changed this session as chair of the Senate Federal and State Affairs Committee, which has jurisdiction over the problem.
Additionally, Rep. John Barker (R), who labored on the problem as chair of the Home Federal and State Affairs Committee, misplaced his main bid final yr and is not within the legislature.
Then-Home Minority Chief Tom Sawyer (D) and Assistant Minority Chief Jason Probst (D) stated final yr that they needed to let voters determine on legalizing medical and adult-use marijuana within the state.
The governor, for her half, beforehand pushed a separate proposal that may legalize medical hashish and use the ensuing income to help Medicaid enlargement, with Rep. Brandon Woodard (D) submitting the measure on the governor’s behalf.
Now’s the time to legalize medical marijuana in Kansas. Throughout this upcoming legislative session, we should cross a invoice to help Kansans affected by power diseases. #ksleg #SOTS
— Brandon Woodard (@Woodard4Kansas) January 25, 2023
Kelly has she stated she desires voters to place strain on their representatives to get the reform handed.
Following President Joe Biden’s announcement on pardoning individuals who’ve dedicated federal marijuana possession offenses and imploring governors to comply with go well with, Kelly stated that her administration is “targeted on legalizing medical marijuana in order that Kansans with extreme diseases not must endure.
She added that they’ll “proceed to contemplate all clemency and pardon requests based mostly on a whole and thorough evaluation of the person circumstances.”
The governor additionally stated in 2020 that whereas she wouldn’t personally advocate for adult-use legalization, she wouldn’t rule out signing the reform into regulation if a reform invoice arrived on her desk.
Picture courtesy of Chris Wallis // Aspect Pocket Pictures.