Medical Cannabis Bill Stalls In Kentucky While Maryland Senate Waits To Vote On Adult-Use Legislation

The states of Kentucky and Maryland on Wednesday reinforced what cannabis advocates have long understood — even through recent years of cannabis legalization victories: that ending prohibition is no easy task.

Just as lawmakers in both states looked poised to move forward with marijuana measures in this year’s sessions, a medical bill has stalled in Kentucky and senators in Maryland have yet to figure out if and how they want to proceed with a proposal to put adult-use on the November ballot.

In Kentucky, the southern state’s Republican-controlled House passed House Bill 136 on March 16 to allow patients meeting specific medical criteria to obtain low-THC quantities of flower and oils to treat their ailments. But while as much as 90 percent of Kentucky adults support cannabis legalization, according to a WKYT report, the Republican-controlled state Senate will leave the bill behind in this year’s session by opting not to vote on it.

Kentucky Senate Majority Leader Damon Thayer acknowledged the disconnect between elected officials and voters on Thursday, telling WKYT that while his constituents support legal cannabis, he does not.

In Maryland, a Senate committee failed to reach consensus on three recreational cannabis bills that if passed would put the initiative up for voters on November’s election ballot. Two of those bills already passed through the Maryland House of Representatives, and are just awaiting final approval from the Democrat-controlled Senate.

A lengthy afternoon of Senate hearings on Wednesday featured House Bills 1 and 837 along with Senate Bill 833, which together call for a regulated adult-use industry. Advocates in Maryland expect the three bills to be consolidated into either one or two proposals for the final retail cannabis legislation that goes to the desk of Republican Gov. Larry Hogan.

HB 1 and HB 837 are both sponsored by Democrat Rep. Luke Clippinger, while SB 833 is sponsored by Democrat Sen. Brian Feldman. Democrats in Maryland are largely in favor of retail cannabis, while Hogan and the majority of Republicans in the state legislature still oppose it.

Senators are planning to revisit the initiatives beginning early next week. Several proposed amendments could also help consolidate the three bills ahead of time.