Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear is a longtime supporter of medical Cannabis. And now the Democratic governor’s going the extra mile, reports the Associated Press. If a bill legalizing medical marijuana fails to pass, Beshear says he’s ready to consider taking action himself. Andy Beshear wants to give ailing Kentuckians access to medicinal weed.
Beshear’s comments Thursday showed his frustration as the latest medical marijuana bill is currently stalled in the Kentucky Senate.
Asked if he could potentially issue an executive order making medical marijuana accessible if the bill dies, the governor told reporters: “We’re going to explore that.”
“It’s something that we will look at,” Beshear said. “Its time has certainly come.”
Governor Calls On Lawmakers To Pass Bill
The governor called on lawmakers to send him a bill allowing Kentucky to join the majority of states that legalized medical Cannabis.
The measure cleared the Kentucky House on a 59-34 vote last month. But it has gained no traction in the Kentucky Senate. Conservative Republicans have supermajorities in both chambers.
The bill would strictly regulate the use of marijuana for a list of eligible medical conditions. Governor Beshear said the measure has overwhelming support among Kentuckians.
“You see people from every part of every spectrum that are in favor of this,” the governor said.
Medical Marijuana Bill Appeared Dead Last Week
A bill to legalize medical marijuana in the Bluegrass State appears all but dead for the 2022 session of the General Assembly.
The measure won approval in the House, but the Senate hasn’t even brought it up for a vote, reported WKYT on March 30.
Advocates like Julie Cantwell are furious. Cantwell says her son used to have 100 small seizures every day. Now, with help from out-of-state medical Cannabis, she says he’s been seizure-free for 29 months.
“We’ll do whatever we have to do, but we will help our sick children,” Cantwell said. ”They need this. We’ve got 37 other states that know that this is medicine. It’s time for Kentucky to get on board.”
The Governor agrees. ”It’s time for Kentucky not to be last and to step up and to join the rest of the world,” Beshear said on Thursday.
