Kentucky’s full legislature has now given approval to legislation that will make their state the 39th to legalize medical marijuana.
The House of Representatives voted 66 to 33 today to pass Senate Bill 47, which has already passed the Senate 26 to 11. It now heads to the desk of Governor Andy Beshea, who says he supports the measure and is expected to quickly sign it into law. The bill’s passage in the House came on the last day of the 2023 legislative session.
Senate Bill 47 allows someone with a recommendation from a physician or advanced practice registered nurse to become an authorized medical marijuana patient. This will allow them to purchase marijuana and marijuana products from a licensed dispensary. Although smoking marijuana isn’t allowed, dried flower is still permitted for vaping, and patients will be able to obtain marijuana through a variety of other products such as pills and tinctures. The law would also recognize “valid out-of-state registry identification cards”.
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Under Senate Bill 125, the Illinois Vehicle Code is amended by changing Section 11-502.15 to add the following statement: “The odor of burnt or raw cannabis in a motor vehicle by itself shall not constitute probable cause for the search of a motor vehicle or person.”
Conducted by researchers at Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences and the Tehran University of Medical Sciences, both in Iran, the study “aimed to evaluate the safety profile and efficacy of a cannabis-based sublingual spray, CBDEX10 (containing 100 µg cannabidiol and 10 µg Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol per puff), in improving lipid profile and glycemic state of the diabetic patients.”
The committee approved Senate Bill 47 today 18 to 2, sending it to a vote of the full House of Representatives on the last day of the legislative session. Given it’s already been passed by the Senate 26 to 11, it will be sent to Governor Andy Beshea if it’s passed today by the full House. Governor Beshea supports legalizing medical marijuana and is expected to sign the measure into law if given the chance. If the House fails to act on the measure today, it will need to be pushed off until next year.
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The Senate Health Policy Committee voted unanimously today, 12 to 0, to pass Senate Bill 344, the companion bill to House Bill 387 which has already passed the House Health and Human Services Committee and the House Healthcare Regulations Subcommittee. The bill would allow patients to seek renewals for their medical marijuana authorization (required annually) via telehealth, which is currently prohibited.
Although Washington was one of the first two states to legalize marijuana in 2012, employers up until this point have been able to refuse employment based on off-the-job recreational marijuana use. Senate Bill 5123 would change that, and today it was passed by the House of Representatives by a vote of 57 to 41 – it’s already passed the Senate 28 to 21. It will need to receive a vote of concurrence by the House before it can be sent to Governor Jay Inslee for consideration.
Senate Bill 47 would be able to receive a vote by the full House of Representatives if it’s approved tomorrow in the House Licensing and Occupations Committee, something proponents of the measure say they are optimistic will happen. Given it’s already passed the Senate in a 26 to 11 vote, if it is able to pass the House tomorrow it will be sent to a supportive governor who is expected to sign it into law quickly if given the opportunity.