The Kansas Lawmakers approve the Medical Cannabis legalization bill in committee. What does it state?

 

On Tuesday, The Kansas House Committee, 4rth May 2021, has approved the bill to legalize medical cannabis within the state. The House Federal members and State affairs committee adopted the amendment series before advancing the legislation in 12-8 votes. 

 

However, this is the second time when the panel has endorsed the reform proposal in this session. After passing the proposal in March, it was sent to the House floor and then referred back to the committee for further considerations. However, if we should at some point in time run this on the floor, there will be several amendments to it, Chairman John Barker added at the meeting’s opening. 

 

On Tuesday, Rep. Blake Carpenter filed an extensive amendment accepted in a voice vote in the committee. It would permit the counties to opt-out of the endorsed dispensaries in their jurisdiction, protect patient’s gun rights, clarify limitations on advertising, eradicate housing and employment protections for medical marijuana patients. It also requires a minimum of six months of the relationship between the physician and the patient, with some exceptions prior to the medical cannabis recommendations. 

 

If the marijuana is federally rescheduled, the bill revision calls for references to the term “recommendation” be modified to “prescription.” This will also be done to automatically change the state’s drug schedule to align with any new federal classification. Additionally, it will make alterations to the cannabis advisory board, mandate that cannabis is cultivated in a protected fashion indoors and outdoors. Also, it requires the foreign financial interest’s disclosures in the medical cannabis business. 

 

Another approved modification came from the state treasurer that would strike the requirement that payment processing the system is “closed-loop.” Also, the Kansas Department of Revenue Alcoholic Beverage Control has an approved amendment that adds up the cannabinoid definitions, medical marijuana products, and several other terms instead of having it established by regulators at a later point. 

 

The amendment also fixes the discrepancy for residency requirements by uniformly setting them at four years and shifts the deadlines to adopt regulations back by a year to July 2023. The Healthy and The environment committee also introduced an amendment that simply moves the deadline to adopt rules and launch an educational website by July 2023, and the revision also got approval. 

 

Overall the legislation would establish a medical cannabis program for qualified patients. And as per the draft, it listed around 21 health conditions that are eligible for the patients for the medical marijuana program. However, during the further amendments in march month, the expansion of the qualifying lists and smoking and vaping products would be prohibited. Along with that home, growing was also not allowed as per the amendment.

 

Gov. Laura Kelly has pushed a separate proposal concerning the legalization of medical cannabis and utilizing the resulting revenue to support Medicaid expansion. With both, the legislation pieces would make it, Kansas joins the category of majority of states that have legalized the medical cannabis market advocates them as restrictive and particularly it concerns the limited consumption methods that would be allowed.

 

Though a Senate bill was introduced in February, that has not been seen in action, and the legislation introduced in the House last year primarily reflects the medical cannabis legalization. 

 

Final Thought!

 

To conclude, the patients would be eligible for medical marijuana treatment with the doctor’s recommendation only if they have a suitable debilitating health condition that inhibits the patient’s ability to perform daily activities.

The registered patients would be allowed to cultivate and possess at least four ounces of cannabis. The bill would also establish the Kansas Medical Cannabis Agency to oversee the medical marijuana program.

 

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