Medical marijuana gaining
Several holdout states weighing legalization by bill, ballot
FRANKFORT, Ky. — Facing a potentially historic vote on whether to legalize medical marijuana in Kentucky, Republican lawmaker John Schickel is conflicted.
A retired law enforcement officer, Schickel once steadfastly opposed medical cannabis, but his stance has softened. Now he says he’s approaching the question with an open mind.
“One side of me says that with all the drug abuse we have right now, why are we opening up another avenue of abuse?” the state senator said in an interview. “But the flip side of it is, if there are people who need medical attention and truly believe that it will help them, who are we to say they can’t have it?”
Schickel’s dilemma stands as yet another sign that views about marijuana are changing across the South, where efforts to legalize it have long been stymied by Bible Belt politics. While medical cannabis is legal now in 33 states, including Arkansas, Louisiana and Florida, other Southern states remain among the holdouts.
Whether wavering resistance will lead to legalization remains unclear. After years of setbacks, the Kentucky bill’s supporters cleared a hurdle when the House passed the measure. The Senate appears more skeptical.
In Alabama, a medical marijuana bill won approval in the Senate and moves to the state House next.
And in Mississippi, voters will decide for themselves whether to legalize medical marijuana in November, after a group submitted more than enough signatures to put the issue on the ballot. But that ballot question might have competition.
The Mississippi House voted to put a second medical marijuana proposal on the statewide ballot this year. People who petitioned to get the first one there say the second is designed to split the vote and kill both proposals. The alternative proposal would go on the ballot only if it is also approved by the state Senate.
The Kentucky bill would allow doctors to prescribe cannabis that patients could obtain at approved dispensaries in forms such as pills and oils. Smoking medical cannabis would not be permitted. A regulatory board would determine what conditions would qualify for prescriptions. The House-passed version would ensure that approved conditions would include such things as chronic pain, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis and nausea.
Opposition has come from socially conservative lawmakers who warn that legalizing medical cannabis would put Kentucky on a slippery slope leading to recreational use of the drug.
“Marijuana isn’t just a carefree, happy-go-lucky kind of thing you just do on a whim,” Republican Rep. Stan Lee said. “It’s a drug. And I don’t think it’s good for our society. I don’t think it’s good for our people. And I fear that’s where we’re going — step by step.”
Looking to defuse that argument, the bill’s leading supporter said he too opposes recreational marijuana.
“This is not about fun,” Republican Rep. Jason Nemes said after the House vote. “This is about healing. This is about health.”
Other opponents are uneasy about Kentucky getting ahead of federal marijuana policy. Despite increasing legalization in the states, marijuana remains federally classified as a Schedule I drug, alongside heroin and LSD.
Others warn of aggressive marketing by the cannabis industry: “It’s an addiction-for-profit business model,” said Garth Van Meter of Smart Approaches to Marijuana, an alliance that says it promotes a health-first approach to marijuana policy.
And some say more research is needed on marijuana’s medicinal value before it’s prescribed.
“If it’s a drug, we’ll have the FDA deem it a drug and then allow our pharmacists to distribute it,” said Kentucky prosecutor Chris Cohron.
Supporters see these arguments as misdirection meant to keep Kentucky out of step with most states.
“The research has been done, and Kentucky is … behind on cannabis legislation,” said Jaime Montalvo, executive director of Kentuckians for Medicinal Marijuana.
Now the bill’s fate is in the hands of the Senate, with just a few weeks left in this year’s session.