Good news, Kansas. It looks as though relief is on the way, and you’ll be able to get a Kansas Marijuana Card by 2024!
The state Senate has begun debating SB 560, a bill that would establish a medical marijuana market here. Although nothing is final, it looks like this bill has an excellent chance of passing.
Kansas House Has Already Passed Medical Marijuana Bill
The House passed a legalization bill last year, and the Senate was ready to begin considering the issue at the opening of the current legislative session. Unfortunately, Senate President Ty Masterson abruptly pulled the bill from the Senate agenda.
But now, hearings on the matter are underway in the Senate, “a signal that the conservative Republicans controlling the Legislature have blessed tightly regulated legalization,” according to KCUR, Kansas City’s NPR affiliate.
Senate Leader Says He Blocked Medical Marijuana Effort Because of Security Concerns
Masterson told KCUR that he wasn’t opposed to medical marijuana, but he blocked the bill in the past because he was concerned that it didn’t do enough to prevent people without legitimate medical reasons from getting Kansas Marijuana Cards.
“There is some legitimate medical benefit to the derivatives of the cannabis plant,” Masterson told the Kansas News Service. “The final hurdle is: What is a legitimate way to deliver it.”
Good News of a More Restrictive Medical Marijuana Law
Some might be disappointed if the legislature passes a restrictive medical marijuana law, but the good news is that other states have had success winning over reluctant conservative lawmakers. By creating strictly limited cannabis markets, the state then gradually loosens restrictions once the law is in place.
KCUR reports that the Senate has already heard testimony from several people urging them to remove bans on smoking and vaping medical marijuana. Jack Mitchell, the owner of a dispensary in Kansas City, Missouri, told the Senate that some states that started with similar rules in place have since rescinded those restrictions.
In fact, both Texas and Minnesota expanded their restrictive medical marijuana markets in 2021. It’s easier to reform a legalization bill then it is to pass one, so while we understand that some Kansans may be disappointed if the law is passed in its current form, the fact is that it would be a major win for suffering Jayhawkers.
The strategy of wooing conservative lawmakers with restrictive legislation has a track record of success. Kentucky appears poised to finally legalize cannabis for patients with qualifying conditions after several years of marijuana reform bills failing to pass.
The strategy of winning over GOP legislators with initially restrictive medical marijuana bills appears to be paying off here in Kansas as well.
Influential Republican Senator Supports Medical Marijuana
Republican and conservative lawmakers have long been the most staunch opponents of marijuana reform. The sudden support for medical marijuana from Senate Republicans has so many people optimistic that the bill actually has a chance of becoming a law.
One GOP lawmaker who has voiced his support has medical marijuana advocates especially hopeful because of his power and prominence within the Senate.
Senator Rob Olson is the chairman of the Federal and State Affairs Committee, where SB 560 must pass before going to the full Senate for a vote. He told the Kansas Reflector that he plans to move forward with the bill, and he believes it will pass the Senate and then the House.
“I can’t say, ‘Hey, it’s going to get done in the next two weeks,’ or, ‘when we come back,’ but I feel like it will get done by the end of session,” Olson said.
Senate Committee Hears Powerful Testimony From Medical Marijuana Advocates
The Kansas Reflector reports that the Senate’s Federal and State Affairs Committee heard some convincing testimony from supporters of the bill, which no doubt will also help to sway reluctant lawmakers.
Jonathan Lewis, an Army veteran with an amputated leg, said marijuana has helped him stay clean from other drugs for more than 13 years. “It was a whole new reawakening,” Lewis said. “I was actually able to walk. I was actually able to function. I wasn’t hurting.”
Lewis, a Missouri resident, now advocates for medical marijuana on behalf of veterans.
“I had a veteran call me last night and said he had a gun in his mouth because he cannot deal with the pain of all the pills that the VA is putting on him,” Lewis said.
Medical Marijuana Bill Would Recognize Long List of Qualifying Conditions and Allow For More to Be Added
If it the legislature passes SB 560 in its current form, the law would recognize twenty health conditions that would qualify patients to receive a Kansas Marijuana Card:
HIV/AIDS
Alzheimer's disease
ALS
Cancer
Chronic traumatic encephalopathy
Epilepsy or another seizure disorder
Fibromyalgia
Glaucoma
Hepatitis C
Multiple sclerosis
Parkinson's disease
PTSD
Sickle cell anemia
Spinal cord disease or injury
Tourette's syndrome
Traumatic brain injury
Ulcerative colitis
Autoimmune disorders
Chronic pain
Debilitating psychiatric disorders
Furthermore, the law would also recognize “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.” The law would authorize the Secretary of Health and Development to amend the list of recognized conditions.
Get Ready Kansas: Medical Marijuana Could Be Here by 2024
You have to wait for the Legislature to finally pass a medical marijuana law before you can buy the medicine, but you might not have to wait long.
According to KCUR, SB 560 “sets several milestones for establishing the rules and regulations needed to make the program operational. If the measure passes and all those deadlines are met, medical marijuana would be available in Kansas by January 2024.”
So don’t delay and reserve an evaluation online today with one of our knowledgeable, compassionate cannabis doctors!
We’ll set up an appointment for you just as soon as Kansas’ medical marijuana market is up and running. 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 stigma for our patients by providing equal access to timely information and compassionate care.
If you have any questions, call us at 833-781-6675, or simply reserve a medical marijuana evaluation to start getting relief you can trust today!
And don’t forget to check out Kansas Marijuana Card’s Blog to keep up to date on the latest medical marijuana news, tips, and information.
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