Kentucky Lawmaker Prefiles Medical Cannabis Legalization Bill

Kentucky Rep. Jason Nemes (R-Louisville) prefiled a medical cannabis legalization bill Nov. 1 ahead of the state’s 2020 legislative session, which kicks off in January.

The legislation, which will become House Bill 136 when the legislative session opens, would charge the Department for Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Control with regulating the fledgling industry, according to a WLKY report. The proposal would also create a state-run system to license cultivators, dispensaries, safety facilities, processors, practitioners and patients, the news outlet reported.

Smokable cannabis would be prohibited under the bill, but patients would have access to other delivery methods like edibles, oils and pills, WLKY reported. The legislation also includes a 12-percent excise tax for cultivators and processors selling to retailers.

This is the second year for H.B. 136, which was introduced by Nemes and Rep. Diane St. Onge (R-Ft. Wright) in the 2019 legislative session. The House Judiciary Committee approved the legislation in March, and more than 60 representatives committed to approving the bill if it came to the House floor in 2020.