Kentucky’s governor spoke out about medical cannabis, calling it “the future” and going further, saying part of the medical cannabis model should involve farmers’ ability to grow cannabis and sell to other states.
Governor Andy Beshear spoke with 44 News in a segment that aired on December 8 about how legalizing medical cannabis is one of his priorities for the upcoming legislative session, also expressing openness to legislation that would open doors to allow cannabis for adult use, without a medical reason.
“This is the future. It’s where things are going,” he said, regarding medical cannabis. “It’s time we joined so many other states in doing the right thing.”
Beshear also said that it is “past time” to legalize medical cannabis, saying the plant “can provide some relief for folks that would otherwise turn to more damaging substances.”
He added that, due to the unique location of Kentucky in relation to other states, it would be an ideal place to try out a policy change that would allow for farmers to grow for other states. He didn’t clarify exactly what he meant, in respect to interstate commerce of medical cannabis.
Beshear joins others, like the Alliance for Sensible Markets campaign, in asking leaders what it would take to allow two or more legal-use states to enter an agreement that would regulate commerce between them. The campaign sent a letter to the Department of Justice last month, with those signing on showing an interest in putting pressure on the governors of California, Colorado, Oregon and Washington and asking how states in the country might begin to approach the conversation.
While the issue would likely be resolved once federal legalization happens, the letter recognizes that it could still be years away, and in the meantime, the Justice Department should weigh in with enforcement guidance.
“We believe that a tolerant response from the Department of Justice will precipitate meaningful dialogue around commerce between producer states like ours and any number of legal or legalizing adult-use or medical states that would themselves benefit from access to a stable, sustainable, and world class supply chain,” the letter said.
Currently, states’ cannabis markets start and stop within their own borders, which means that even environments that might be better suited to grow cannabis, and one day export to other states that are less ideal for cultivation, must operate within the confines of their borders.
Oregon Governor Kate Brown has already indicated she’d approve of cannabis being imported and exported from other states, signing a bill in 2019 for that very action should federal policy allow for it in the future.
The Kentucky governor added that the state should be “open to conversations” about legalizing cannabis, voicing his support for cannabis reform legislation that was filed previously. He also expressed his approval of a policy introduced by Representative Nima Kulkarni last month, which would prevent people from being incarcerated over cannabis.
“It just says that nobody ought to go to jail for simply using marijuana, and I agree with that,” Beshear said. “When we look at folks that are using versus selling, we need better methods certainly than arrest and incarceration, but we also in the future ought to at least be open to conversations on the recreational side.”
He added that he is fully on board for medical cannabis, though he wanted to ensure that the proper regulations were in place so the program is successful and not abused.
“There’s no need to get in the weeds about what office or cabinet [should regulate cannabis], but we want to set it up to have an opportunity for success and not just to score political points,” he said.A poll from last year also revealed that nine out of 10 Kentucky residents supported legalizing medical cannabis, with almost 60 percent saying that cannabis should be legal under “any circumstances.”
