At a press conference Representative Nima Kulkarni of Louisville announced that she has filed legislation that would legalize marijuana for everyone 21 and older.
House Bill 47
is a constitutional amendment that would make it legal for those 21+ to possess up to an ounce of marijuana for any use they deem appropriate. It would also allow them to grow up to five marijuana plants.
If it were to be passed by the legislature and signed by the governor, it would be placed on the 2024 general election ballot in order to give voters the final say on the matter.
“It’s a way for lawmakers to hear directly and clearly from their voters”, says Representative Kulkarni. “It’s a way for voters to exercise their enormous power by voting on this ballot initiative, and it allows lawmakers to move past their personal opinions on cannabis use and simply let Kentuckians decide”.
Kulkarni has also filed a measure that would allow for the expungement of criminal convictions for the possession, cultivation, or trafficking of marijuana for personal use.
“It’s a matter of racial equity”, says Kungu Njuguna, a strategist for the ACLU of Kentucky which is supporting the measure. “Nationally, people who look like me are four times more likely to be arrested for marijuana possession, and in Kentucky, that disparity gets a whole lot worse — nearly ten times more likely”.
The proposal has been assigned to the House Committee on Committees.
