Lawmakers in Kentucky passed a bill to make medical cannabis legal in the state. The bill now goes to Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear (D) to be signed into law. Beshear said on Twitter that he is “proud” to sign the bill. The bill doesn’t include ways to smoke cannabis, but it would give patients who are part of the program access to edibles and concentrates, according to a report by Ganjapreneur.
Last year, Beshear signed an executive order that made it legal for some people with serious medical conditions to have cannabis. Reforms went into effect on January 1, letting people with a note from a doctor buy cannabis legally in another state and keep up to eight ounces of it for medical purposes.
State Rep. Jason Nemes (R), who sponsored a medical cannabis bill last year that did not get a vote in the Senate, told Spectrum News that the law requires medical cannabis products to be grown by licensed Kentucky growers and tested by licensed Kentucky labs. The law also limits the amount of THC that can be in the products.
Beshear said on Twitter that “most Kentuckians” are in favor of making medical marijuana legal and that he was “glad this progress has been made.”
The Senate voted 66 to 33 in favor of the bill. Once the governor signs the bill into law, it will become law on January 1, 2025.
