A bill to legalize medical marijuana in Kansas is dead for 2024 after the state Senate blocked an effort to bring the proposal to the floor for debate. Had it passed, the measure would have legalized the medicinal use of cannabis by patients with certain qualifying conditions in one of the few states that have yet to legalize medical weed.
Last month, a Kansas Senate legislative committee voted to table the proposal, Senate Bill 135, after hearing from both supporters and opponents of the measure. On Friday, an effort to revive the bill and pull it out of committee failed to gain the support of enough senators and was rejected by a vote of 12-25, according to a report from the Associated Press.
The Kansas Senate also failed to advance a bill to expand Medicaid coverage in the state, an opportunity from the federal government under the 2010 Affordable Care Act that has been adopted by 40 states and the District of Columbia. State Senator John Doll, a western Kansas Republican who voted for both measures, criticized his state for failing to follow the lead of much of the rest of the country.
“We’re behind the times,” Doll said on Friday after the Senate votes.
Bill Covered 21 Qualifying Conditions
Had the legislature approved Senate Bill 135, the measure would have legalized the use of cannabis for patients with one or more of 21 serious medical conditions including cancer, epilepsy, spinal cord injuries and chronic pain. Patients would be required to have a recommendation to use medical marijuana from their doctor and pay $50 for a state identification card to participate in the program. Patients would also pay a 10% excise tax on their purchases of medical cannabis.
The bill also regulated the cultivation, processing, distribution and sale of medical marijuana. Four different state agencies—the Department of …
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Author: A.J. Herrington / High Times
