The track-and-trace software program Marijuana Enforcement Monitoring Reporting Compliance (Metrc) is without doubt one of the hottest choices for states to watch hashish vegetation from seed to sale. It at the moment serves a handful of areas within the U.S., including 22 states (including 2 separate contracts in Colorado), as well as the District of Columbia and Guam.
On Feb 21, Metrc introduced that it has formally agreed on a brand new contract with the state of Kentucky. Citing Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear’s signing of Senate Invoice 47 in March 2023, which is ready to take impact on Jan. 1, 2025, the state is at the moment engaged on establishing its regulatory framework in anticipation of that deadline. “Tasked with growing and implementing rules for the Kentucky Medical Hashish Program, the Cupboard for Well being and Household Companies goals to make sure Kentuckians affected by critical medical circumstances have secure, inexpensive entry to medical hashish, achieved by way of a dedication to evidence-based practices, transparency, outreach and schooling,” Metrc explained in a press release.
Metrc CEO Michael Johnson expressed his pleasure in Metrc being utilized in Kentucky. “As Kentucky works to determine its medical hashish market, we’re thrilled to have the chance to launch the state’s first-ever track-and-trace program,” Johnson said. “Our group at Metrc appears ahead to working alongside the Cupboard for Well being and Household Companies to construct a regulatory framework that may create a market with the strongest basis, the place sufferers are assured secure consumption and licensees are offered an atmosphere to thrive.”
The service data all details about authorized vegetation, resembling “origin, testing outcomes, dealing with, and chain-of-custody” utilizing an RFID tag. The knowledge could be accessed by state regulators however can be helpful to dispensary operators to assist handle their stock, and observe gross sales and cultivation information.
Metrc famous that it has a “specific presence within the South” a part of the U.S., together with Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, West Virginia, and now Kentucky, which marks its twenty fifth authorities contract. In accordance with the Metrc website, the corporate states that its “Whole occasions logged in Metrc” is at the moment at 5,622,330,903, and its whole worth of gross sales monitored equates to $31,230,700,515.
The preliminary passage of the medical hashish invoice in Kentucky in March 2023 permits sufferers affected by most cancers, a number of sclerosis, power ache, epilepsy, power nausea, and post-traumatic stress dysfunction. “Kentuckians with certified medical circumstances can proceed to hunt reduction with medical hashish by going out of state and following all these circumstances that you could fastidiously learn within the government order,” Beshear stated in March after passing SB-47. “All Kentuckians with qualifying medical circumstances deserve an opportunity at a brighter, pain-free future, with out ever having to show to opioids. We all know what these did to our state.”
Final October, Beshear offered an replace on the state’s medical hashish program. “We now have established the Medical Hashish Program, which is the workplace that’s going to do that work, as a part of the Cupboard for Well being and Household Companies,” stated Beshear. “The workplace is getting ready to speak the implementation of this regulation with a brand new web site that went stay at present. So, transferring ahead, you will get updates on the implementation by kymedcan.ky.gov.”
SB-47 additionally requires the creation of the Crew Kentucky Medical Hashish Workgroup, the aim of which is to review medical hashish coverage, and consists of presidency representatives, in addition to people from regulation enforcement, agricultural, and healthcare backgrounds.
One of many final updates from Beshear was in January, when he acknowledged that the regulation was made to offer “reduction to Kentuckians with extreme medical circumstances,” and needs to be expanded upon to incorporate extra circumstances. He talked about a further listing of circumstances that also needs to qualify, together with ALS or Lou Gehrig’s illness, Parkison’s illness, Crohn’s illness, sickle cell anemia, cachexia (losing syndrome), neuropathies, extreme arthritis, hepatitis C, fibromyalgia, muscular dystrophy, Huntington’s illness, HIV, AIDS, glaucoma, and terminal diseases. “It is a essential set,” Beshear explained. “Whereas the laws referenced a number of qualifying circumstances, it left others out.”
Medical hashish isn’t the one focus in Kentucky, as some legislators are persevering with to push for adult-use. Rep. Nima Kulkarni launched adult-use laws in January 2023 which might have allowed voters to approve hashish use, possession, and residential cultivation. “For many years, the failed and irrational Battle on Medication has ensured that we now have arrested, prosecuted and jailed thousands and thousands of Individuals for low stage nonviolent drug offenses,” Kulkarni said at the time. “We now have the possibility to maneuver ahead in a approach that makes positive that Kentuckains fighting ache, with trauma, with opioid habit, are in a position to entry hashish with out worry of jail or a legal document.”
In January 2024, Kulkarni launched House Bill 72, which might legalize adult-use hashish and permit hashish use, possession and residential cultivation, however not gross sales. As of Feb 23, there have been no additional updates for this invoice.