Patients and advocates continue the fight for medical cannabis in 2021

Last update: February 15, 2021

On February 20, 2020, the Kentucky House of Representatives voted 65-30 to pass a medical cannabis bill, HB 136. This was the first time the full House ever voted on the issue. Sadly, the COVID-19 pandemic reached the U.S. at an inopportune time, and the Senate adjourned for the year in April without voting on the bill.

This setback was a tremendous disappointment for patients, who have been working for many years to convince the legislature to pass medical cannabis legislation. Fortunately, Rep. Jason Nemes and other compassionate legislators have vowed to continue the fight in 2021. HB 136 has been reintroduced, and 26 representatives have signed on as cosponsors. A similar bill, SB 92, has been introduced in the Senate by Sen. Stephen West and nine cosponsors.

If you live in Kentucky, please take time to write your state legislators in support of medical cannabis. After you do so, please call your senator’s office and urge them to support the bill.

Support has been growing for several years. U.S. Senator Rand Paul added his support for the effort in March 2018. Gov. Andy Beshear was elected in November 2019 after supporting medical cannabis as a candidate.

A February 2020 Kentucky Health Issues Poll found that 90% of Kentuckians support medical cannabis.

Legislators advocate for bill to end cannabis prohibition in Kentucky

In 2021, Rep. Rachel Roberts introduced HB 467, a bill to legalize, regulate, and tax cannabis. Similar bills were sponsored in 2020 by Sen. Cluster Howard, in 2018 and 2019 by Sen. Dan Seum, who retired in late 2019, and by Sen. Perry Clark in 2017.

Although it may take some time for an adult-use legalization bill to pass in Kentucky, these legislators and others have started a conversation that will eventually lead to the end of cannabis prohibition.

Lawmakers pass, governor signs limited CBD bill 

In 2014, Kentucky then-Gov. Steve Beshear signed into law a proposal that was intended to allow patients to use cannabidiol (“CBD,” a non-psychoactive component of cannabis) if directed by a physician. The law went into effect immediately with his signature. Unfortunately, the legislation excludes the vast majority of patients who could benefit from medical cannabis.

For more information on this law, please see our summary of SB 124.

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