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Bleeding Kansas Advocates
Kansas Lawmakers Form Special Committee , Will They Finally Get Medical Cannabis Done ?
What else can those of us stuck in this state unable to relocate do but remain hopeful ? by Lisa Ash Sublett , contributing writer
All Kansas advocates were heartbroken and angry when the Kansas Senate failed to get medical cannabis over the line in the 2022 session . State lawmakers finished their final day on May 23 , and medical cannabis was left on the table by the Senate , which has continued to stall making meaningful advances in recent years .
That inaction is particularly frustrating as medical cannabis is legal in 37 states , including Kansas neighbors : Colorado , Missouri , and Oklahoma . We have not heard of a clear date just yet for the next Kansas lawmakers session to meet on this topic . We were only told summer , and then we were told the interim committee would be held mid-August . So we wait ! pilot program for medical cannabis , and employment discrimination . The committee will be meeting for three days in August , but three more days can be added by leadership if they choose .
The legislature failed to take action on a House bill passed two sessions ago in 2021 , and a
Senate bill introduced by Republican Senator Rob Olson in March . Kansas House Democrats released a
statement on May 23 demanding lawmakers remain in Topeka until their “ legislative duties are complete ,” listing five main items to address , including medical cannabis . Olson , who chairs the Senate Federal and State Affairs Committee , issued an apology , citing the “ heavy load of the committee .”
Olson ’ s sponsored legislation ,
Senate Bill 560 ( S . B . 560 ), the Medical Marijuana Regulation Act , sought to include more than 20 qualifying conditions for potential patients .
Some of the key difference between efforts in the two chambers include S . B . 560 ’ s wording to include “ any other chronic , debilitating , or terminal condition that , in the professional judgment of a physician , would be a detriment to the patient ’ s mental or physical health if left untreated ,” as well as required patient-physician medical relationships , reciprocity for out-of-state patients , equity licensing , and effective dates . There were some additional outstanding items that members hadn ’ t quite decided on as of April ’ s meeting and said they needed additional time to work . Those issues are related to advertising requirements , rules for cultivation facilities , licensing fees , creating a
While advocates , as always , remain hopeful — I mean , what else can those of us stuck in this state unable to relocate do but remain hopeful — the fact is we have had interim special committee action before , in 2019 , and nothing came from that .
We hope the voters will continue to pressure their district senators and representatives over the summer and fall . The only real hope for those who are suffering in Kansas has always been , and will always be , when our healthy neighbors care enough to express their support to our lawmakers and to vote for those that support our right to legally access medical cannabis . So , while everyone else looks to the lawmakers , I continue to look at the rest of the voters and wonder if they will vote for compassion ? Will they vote for us to be # FreeToHeal ?
For years , cancer patient David Auble ( in wheelchair on lower far right ) would travel to the Kansas capitol advocating for patient rights and legalization .
Written views of the contributing writers expressed in this publication belong to the writers and do not necessarily reflect the sentiments or editorial opinion of the publisher or staff of The EVOLUTION Magazine .