Kentucky's ban on medical marijuana has survived an initial test in court, with a judge ruling Wednesday that the state has a good reason to "curtail citizens' possession of a narcotic, hallucinogenic drug."
Twenty-nine other states have legalized marijuana in some way, the most common being for medical purposes. While Kentucky lawmakers have embraced hemp — the fibers of the plant that are used to make rope, clothing and other products — and other uses for the cannabis plant, they have failed to consider a number of proposals that would let people use marijuana as medicine.
STATE BY STATE: Kentucky Cannabis News
Frustrated, three people sued the governor and the attorney general earlier this year and asked a judge to throw out the ban because "denying sick people safe medicine" is unjust.
Franklin Circuit Judge Thomas Wingate rejected that argument, ruling the state had good reason to ban the use of marijuana. He also said the state legislature has "discretion to regulate what is harmful to the public health and wellbeing." He told the plaintiffs their only option was to persuade the state legislature to lift the ban.
Top photo: © Alexey Novikov | Dreamstime.com
