Kentucky Senate Bill 47 is seen as a continuation of the previous discussions around medical cannabis as proposed by Rep. Nemes in previous legislative sessions. Although it has some flaws, such as the absence of home grows for patients and caregivers, no employment protections for medical cannabis patients, and the mandated use of pharmacists in dispensaries, these issues are not insurmountable.

When Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear announced his executive order granting preemptive pardons for possession of marijuana for patients suffering from certain medical conditions, he said the move would allow people “to get the help they need without living in fear of being charged with a misdemeanor.”

HB 488 is a bill introduced by Representative A. Gentry with the aim of improving the current worker's compensation system. The bill proposes to exclude certain levels of delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in the blood from being used as evidence to assume that an injury was caused by the introduction of that substance. This move is a step towards ensuring that individuals who are injured on the job are not unfairly denied compensation simply because they have THC in their system.

Cannabis legislation has been hard to pass in Kentucky, which remains one of just 13 states with a total prohibition on marijuana on the books. Last year, a medical marijuana bill so restrictive it allowed non-smokable cannabis for only a handful of medical conditions passed in the House, but it did not receive a hearing in the Senate.

House Bill 348 is currently being criticized as an attack on the hemp industry, as it represents yet another example of the Republican party attempting to restrict and enforce more regulations on an already struggling industry.

We're halfway through the 2023 Kentucky General Assembly. We thank you for every call, email, and meeting by Kentuckians to State Legislators supporting cannabis policy reform. We firmly believe that every action, no matter how small, is significant and impactful.

CJ Carter stays busy. Between founding a realty group, serving as the Kentucky state director of Minorities for Medical Marijuana, and being a barber, it’s hard to describe him as anything but a hard worker. But things changed in his life just a few years ago. In 2018, Carter was diagnosed with epilepsy.

Deputy Director of Kentucky NORML Lauren Bratcher said there's a lot of gray area within the executive order. “People don't understand that it's an extension of his pardon power, meaning this is not legal here. It's more of a ‘Get Out of Jail Free Card,’” Bratcher said of the governor’s executive order.

Kentucky is now one month into an executive order allowing narrow legal protections for people who use medical marijuana. However, there’s still a lot of confusion around the order and scammers are taking advantage.

Gov. Andy Beshear’s Executive Order allowing out-of-state medical cannabis in Kentucky went into effect on New Year’s Day.