LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said Thursday he will form an advisory team as part of a broad review as he weighs whether to take executive action to legalize access to medical marijuana.
In his weekly Thursday “Team Kentucky” news conference, Beshear said the move had broad support across the commonwealth.
“I want to be clear: I am for medical cannabis,” he said. “I want it done in the right way, and we’re going to be looking at our legal options very closely. And at the same time, we want to hear from you.”
And he chastised state lawmakers for failing to pass marijuana legislation in the over the recent General Assembly.
“It never even got a vote in committee,” Beshear said.
He went on to lay out what he said was the case for legalizing medical marijuana.
“It’s time has come and it can give some ailing Kentuckians relief for those suffering from Alzheimer’s, ALS, cancer, severe chronic pain, epilepsy and seizures, PTSD and many other conditions,” he said. “Those are conditions in many other states where they can work with a health care provider to gain access to medical cannabis to help treat their symptoms that’s right to them.”
The governor even took an indirect swipe at the state of Mississippi, lamenting that Kentucky is “actually behind Mississippi this time” adding that, “we can’t make that joke.”
Mississippi legalized medical marijuana earlier this year.
“Their state legislature had the courage that ours did not to do so this February,” Beshear said.
As a result, Beshear announced what he called a four-step plan that would be rolled out over the coming months to “amplify” the voices of the public on the issue.
The steps include:
- Analyzing what options are available for executive action on the issue
- Setting up a medical cannabis advisory team
- Deploying the medical cannabis advisory team throughout Kentucky to hear opinions from residents on the issue
- Creating an email address at govmedicalcannabisadvisoryteam@ky.gov where residents can voice their opinions
But opponents said they worry that Kentucky’s cannabis policy would become more lenient over the years if medical marijuana gets a legal foothold. That would worsen drug addiction woes, they said.
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