Controversial Bill Threatens Kentucky's Medical Marijuana Program, Hawaiian Lawmakers Divided On Weed Legalization & More Cannabis Updates

Controversial Bill Threatens Access To Kentucky’s MMJ Program

A measure that according to its sponsor would “clean some things up" within Ketucky's medical marijuana law is advancing through the legislature, reported Forward Kentucky.

House Bill 829 from state Rep. Jason Nemes (R) seeks to ban people with past drug possession convictions from being allowed to participate in the medical cannabis program among other things. The bill was green-lighted by the state House last week and is now up for review in the Senate.

One of the bill's proposals would allow public and private schools to opt out of the program. The legislation also made it possible for the state to change the dates for licensing, ensuring that products can be acquired when the program kicks off on Jan 1, 2025.

State Rep. Rachel Roberts (D), said the measure is confusing.

"It seems like we're adding even more hurdles to make this medicine harder to receive, more expensive for folks to access," Roberts said. "I really wish we were back here today to make this medicine more accessible to the people of Kentucky who have been asking us to do this for years."

Others, like Rep. Cherlynn Stevenson (D), stressed that the bill didn't expand the list of qualifying conditions that could be treated with medical marijuana.

See also: GOP Bill Seeks To Expand Kentucky’s Medical Marijuana Eligibility, Despite Pushback From Colleagues

Cannabis Clash in Hawaii: Lawmakers Divided on Legalization

Discussion around the legalization of recreational cannabis in Hawaii is heating up.

Hawaii was the first in the nation to legalize medical marijuana through its state legislature in 2000.

Hawaii’s Attorney General Anne Lopez (D) released a comprehensive proposal in November 2023 to legalize adult-use marijuana amid approval from lawmakers and advocates. Lopez signaled that 2024 is the year for legalization to finally become law.

Yet, lawmakers like Senator Kurt Fevella oppose the move, reported Khon 2, noting he’s skeptical of Rep. Cedric Gates (D) and the Agriculture Committee Chair's stance that cannabis reform would result in thousands of jobs while bringing in $80 million within the first few years.

"If you believe that many people are going to buy legal marijuana and increase taxes and make a lot of money, we living in a fantasy world," Fevella said recently.

Cannabis bills on the table in Hawaii include both House and Senate initiatives that would allow adults over 21 to possess and purchase one ounce of cannabis and grow six plants.

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Oregon Launches New Online System

On March 18, the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission (OLCC) launched a new online licensing system.

This first phase of the Cannabis and Alcohol Management Program (CAMP), will transition those with recreational marijuana program licenses from an online licensing system OLCC has had since 2016 into CAMP. Alcohol licensees will follow suit later in 2024, the agency said in a press release.

"The shift to CAMP will modernize and merge several legacy licensing and compliance systems, some of them mostly paper-based, into a consolidated online program for licensing the agency's alcohol and cannabis programs," OLCC said in a press release.

Over the next 16 months, the remaining components of the CAMP licensing system will be gradually implemented.

Now read: Oregon’s Unique Plan To Discourage Illegal Marijuana Grows: Make Landowners Pay For The Aftermath

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