We know you’ve heard this one before, but good news, everybody: You may soon be able to get a Kentucky Marijuana Card.
Although a medical marijuana bill that passed the House earlier this year died in the Senate, medical-marijuana-friendly legislators and advocates say to take heart: 2022 looks like it might be our year.
Legislators, Medical Marijuana Advocates Both Hopeful for 2022
Advocates for medical marijuana are hopeful that they’ll once again be able to lobby legislators in person during the 2022 session, something they were unable to do this year due to Covid restrictions.
“If they can see us in person and they can hear our stories, they have more incentive to actually act,” Julie Cantwell, founder of Moms for Medical Cannabis, told Spectrum News earlier this year in regards to marijuana legislation failing to advance in the 2021 session.
Cantwell also told Spectrum that election years always seem to cause spikes in support for medical marijuana, making her even more hopeful that next year could finally bring medical marijuana to Kentucky.
Eric Crawford, a longtime medical marijuana advocate who was paralyzed more than twenty years ago in an automobile accident, told WDRB, Louisville’s Fox affiliate, that he is hopeful about the legislation because of how marijuana improves his quality of life. “Cannabis allows me to get out of bed and make the most out of life,” he said.
Crawford also told WKYU, Western Kentucky University’s NPR affiliate, that the legislation would mean he would no longer have to worry about the law just to improve his health.
“If I choose to use cannabis as my medicine instead of the addictive opioids and other dangerous legal pharmaceuticals for my pains and spasms, I am seen as a criminal in the state that I love,” Crawford said.
Kentucky’s Legislative Champion for Medical Marijuana Also Hopeful
State Representative Jason Nemes, who has been medical marijuana’s most staunch ally in the legislature, told WDRB that he has made changes to the bill that died in the Senate this year, and he believes the legislation will pass in 2022.
And while he says he is disappointed in the changes he had to make in order to craft legislation that would clear both houses, Nemes says the compromise legislation will still mean major relief for Kentuckians who have been suffering without medical marijuana.
“This bill ain't no joke," Nemes said. "We're talking about medical cannabis. We're talking about helping people who need help."
And although the new bill isn’t available for public perusal yet, Nemes also gave WDRB a sneak peek into some of the details. In addition to banning the sale and use of marijuana in flower form, the new version of the bill also narrows the list of qualifying conditions to four: chronic pain, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, and nausea.
And while Nemes is disappointed in the changes, as we’re sure most Kentuckians will be, he takes comfort in the belief that this version of the bill will pass into law. And as Texans who saw their medical marijuana program get expanded this year can attest, it’s easier to improve a marijuana law than it is to pass it.
Medical Marijuana is Almost Certainly Coming to Kentucky… Eventually
And it isn’t just medical marijuana supporters in the legislature and in advocacy groups who are indicating that the Bluegrass State’s time for medical marijuana has come. Cold hard facts also point to the inevitability of medical cannabis in Kentucky.
When you consider that 91% of Americans support medical marijuana, 90% of Kentuckians agree, and 36 U.S. states and four territories have medical marijuana markets, it becomes harder and harder to see how those who cling to outdated and harmful stigmas that prejudice them against medical marijuana can keep stonewalling its legalization. We came so close in recent attempts at legalizing medical marijuana here that it seems harder and harder to imagine this prohibition continuing.
And when you consider how medical marijuana would benefit all Kentuckians, not just those suffering from qualifying conditions, it gets even harder to imagine the day where the rest of the union is enjoying all of the health and economic benefits of medical marijuana while Kentucky continues to fight progress.
You Can Get Ready for Medical Marijuana Right Now
There is no reason to drag your feet just because the state is. You can get ready right now for medical marijuana’s inevitable arrival in Kentucky!
Reserve a medical marijuana evaluation online today with one of our knowledgeable, compassionate doctors, and we’ll book an appointment for you just as soon as Kentucky’s medical marijuana program is up and running.
You’ll meet with your new doctor virtually, using your smartphone or computer for a telemedicine appointment. You’ll discuss your condition and how you might find relief with medical marijuana, all without even leaving your home. You’ll even save $25 off the cost of the evaluation!
Doctors Who Care.
Relief You Can Trust.
Helping everyone achieve wellness safely and conveniently through increased access to medical marijuana. Our focus on education, inclusion, and acceptance will reduce the stigma for our patients by providing equal access to timely information and compassionate care.
If you have any questions, call us at (833) 781-6360, or simply book a medical marijuana evaluation to start getting relief you can trust today!