Members of the Kentucky House of Representatives voted by a margin of more than two to one in favor of legislation, House Bill 136, facilitating medical cannabis access. The vote marks the first time that a legislative chamber in the state has ever advanced medicinal marijuana legislation.
Under the plan, which now awaits Senate action, qualified patients would be able to obtain cannabis products from state-licensed dispensaries. Smoking herbal cannabis will not be permitted under the proposal.
According to statewide polling compiled in January by the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky, 90 percent of state residents support regulating medical marijuana access.
Although the bill is anticipated to face pressure in the Senate, the plan is expected to receive support from newly elected Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear, who has previously expressed a willingness to vote in favor of legalizing medical cannabis.
Additional information on House Bill 136 is available from Kentucky NORML. Follow them on Facebook here.
