A Republican state senator is advocating that Kentucky legalize and regulate marijuana to create millions of dollars in tax revenue — citing Colorado’s example — which could be used to address the state’s public pension crisis. However, in a radio interview this week, Gov. Matt Bevin also cited the example of Colorado to argue why Kentucky should not follow suit, claiming that state’s emergency rooms are being overrun by patients who have overdosed on marijuana.
Last week, Sen. Dan Seum, R-Louisville, announced that he supported the legalization of marijuana in Kentucky to help the state’s troubled public pension plans — which have a total unfunded liability of roughly $30 billion — citing the $100 million in annual tax revenue that Colorado has been able to produce.
STATE BY STATE: Kentucky Cannabis News
But when asked by WHAS radio host Terry Meiners in an interview on Tuesday if he favored legislation to legalize marijuana or expanded gaming to create more revenue for pensions, Bevin said those options were off the table.
“So, a lot of toked-up people gambling, that’s the solution for Kentucky?” replied Bevin. “I would say no and no. Not while I’m governor. Those are sucker’s bets. We’re not going to legalize marijuana in this state.”
