Kansas House Approves Low-THC Cannabis Oil Bill
[dropcap class=”kp-dropcap”]O[/dropcap]n July 3, the Kansas House voted 89-35 to approve a bill that would legalize the possession and consumption of low-THC cannabis oil.
House Bill 2244 does not allow for the sale of cannabis or the production of cannabis oil, but does allow patients to leave the state to obtain their medicine and then safely bring it back over state lines.
Just last month, Kansas was one of the only states that hadn’t legalized medical cannabis in some capacity. “We’re really excited, and I think this bill is going to impact a lot of people on a huge level,” said Brianna Bakersville, a parent of a child who would like to give her child low-THC medication, according to The Wichita Eagle. “CBD oil is a remedy,” said Rep. Susan Humphries. “It’s a medical treatment that many families in Kansas would like to use for their children with debilitating diseases or themselves.”
Ed Klumpp, a lobbyist for law enforcement in Kansas, pointed out that another important piece is that law enforcement officers must have a way to accurately test cannabis on site instead of confiscating it. “We certainly don’t want to be in the position where the Legislature has said we want this to be available for these people with these illnesses, and then we take that from them to have it tested because we think it’s over 5 percent and it’s not–and we’re the bad guy,” Klumpp said.
HB-2244, also known as Claire and Lola’s Law, was named for two sisters with microcephaly, cerebral palsy and dwarfism. Claire Hartley died last year at 17 years of age, and was unable to partake in legal cannabis oil with THC.
The tables are finally turning in Kansas regarding cannabis laws. Gov. Laura Kelly recently signed a hemp bill into law, and the city of Lawrence took steps towards cannabis decriminalization.
