Medical marijuana push kicks off in Kansas senate

TOPEKA, (KSNT)— Senators in the Kansas legislature are taking up a medical marijuana bill, kicking off their effort to pass a bipartisan proposal this session.

People from across the state packed the room, sharing their support in the first day of hearings in the senate’s Federal and State Affairs Committee.

“Let’s not let perfection be the enemy of this bill,” R.E. “Tuck” Duncan, representing the Kansas Cannabis Industry Association, said.

Senate Bill 560 enacts the medical marijuana regulation act to sell and use marijuana to treat illnesses or injuries in the state. Duncan, like others who testified in support of the measure, urged lawmakers to pass the bill this year, which would legalize and regulate medical marijuana in the state. The lawyer and lobbyist said lawmakers will have to get “into the weeds” to make progress, touting that the bill has been “well-vetted.”

“This thing has been worked on for two years. There’s been lots of input, lots of conversations, huge conversations in the House…” Duncan said, mentioning a strong majority of lawmakers voting in favor of similar legislation last year.

The committee will continue hearings throughout the week, expecting to wrap up on Friday. According to Senator Rob Olson, R-Olathe, who chairs the committee, the measure is likely to gain support on both sides of the aisle.

“Almost every state in the country has passed some form of medical marijuana. I think there’s a good possibility that we come up with a bill that will pass out,” Olson said.

Senator Oletha Faust-Goudeau, a democratic senator from Wichita, who’s also the Ranking Minority Member in the Federal and State committee said she’s also hopeful to get something passed.

“I think that just the atmosphere now of helping to grow our economy, but most importantly, it’s going to help individuals who have those illnesses,” Faust-Goudeau said.

Some of the proponents who testified also spoke of the health benefits of medical marijuana. Dr. James McEntire, a Cannabis Physician in Missouri, said it can help people dealing with chronic pain or PTSD.

“Right now in the United States, military veterans are over 15 percent increased suicide rates compared to other adults, so we need to make sure veterans have access to quality medication,” McEntire said.

McEntire was joined by his “patient and friend” Jonathan Lewis, a military veteran and amputee. Lewis spoke about his experience using cannabis to help wean off of pain medications.

“Cannabis has helped me, because number one it helped me get off opiates when I first lost my leg, and I had been on other drugs… and I have been clean of all those drugs for 13 and a half years due to cannabis,” Lewis said.

To learn more about the bill, click here.