As Wichita decriminalizes marijuana, what will Kansas do on weed?

As more Kansas municipalities weigh the merits of decriminalizing or reducing penalties for marijuana possession, legislators in Topeka will be left with a choice of how to handle the issue amid a broader debate over whether the state should legalize cannabis.

Wichita became the first city in Kansas to repeal local laws on marijuana possession after a vote by the city council last month, though other cities have reduced penalties for possessing the drug.

The move underscores a conundrum faced by state and local governments across the country, with many cities opting to decriminalize or decline to prosecute marijuana possession even if as the drug remains illegal federally and in many states.

That is the case in Kansas, even as lawmakers have attempted to broker a deal on legalizing edible and topical forms of medical marijuana. Legislators are returning to Topeka for hearings on a potential way forward on the issue, though little has changed since an effort to legalize medical cannabis died in the 2022 session.

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