FRANKFORT, Ky. (LEX 18) — Medical marijuana advocates are applauding Governor Beshear’s executive action that will make the substance legal to treat people who meet a limited number of criteria within the Commonwealth starting in the new year.
The substance would only be legal in small quantities and people would still need to travel outside the state to legally purchase medical marijuana.
Kentucky “CBD Farmacy” owner Robert Mathaney thinks of all marijuana as medical marijuana.
“What I’ve seen this stuff do is beyond anything I could tell you,” Mathaney said. “Personally in my life, it’s helped with PTSD, it’s helped with insanely bad social anxiety”
Cannabis-related laws are the only ones Mathaney has broken he said. That's because, up until this point, it's been illegal to possess marijuana within the state.
The executive order will change that, allowing people who meet a set of criteria to bring marijuana legally purchased in another state into Kentucky.
"It's gonna help a lot of people, it's going to help a lot of our veterans," Mathaney said. "It's great it will help a lot of people but it has got to help a lot more."
AG Daniel Cameron said the state's general assembly should have the final say on the topic. State Representative Jason Nemes wrote on Twitter that he supports legalization but that the governor's actions represent a power grab that sidesteps the legislative branch and violates the constitution.
Governor Beshear said the executive action is not a substitute for a policy the legislature passes.
"What we're trying to do is take a measured step to help those who are struggling," Beshear said.
Beshear says he'll push for full legalization during the upcoming legislative action.
The executive action Tuesday also starts the process for regulating Delta 8.
