By Monterey Bud

 

Politicians in Kansas are at it again … contemplating the legalization of medicinal cannabis for specific life-threatening medical conditions.

A Kansas State representative introduced Senate Bill 155 on Monday. Aimed at helping Kansas become the 29th state to legalize some form of medical marijuana, Sen. David Haley’s bill would allow access to those seriously ill residents with certain qualifying conditions.

Supported by the American Civil Liberties Union, the genesis of SB 155 was necessitated after several attempts failed to advance some form of meaningful medical marijuana legislation in recent years. Benefiting Kansans stricken with cancer, glaucoma, HIV/AIDS, hepatitis C, Crohn’s disease and Alzheimer’s, the ACLU of Kansas have encouraged state policymakers to support SB 155 —  claiming “the state should recognize marijuana as a potential cure, not a crime.”

Favored by 68% of those polled in a 2015 survey, a preponderance of Kansans surveyed believe that marijuana, and its miracle cannabinoids, should be legal for medicinal applications.

Known as the Cannabis Compassion and Care Act of 2017, SB 155 would define a qualifying patient as an individual who possesses a state-issued medical marijuana identification card. If passed, the bill would provide legal cover for patients from prosecution or fines for the possession and use of medical marijuana.

Allowing their patients to cultivate up to 12 marijuana plants and possess as much as 6 ounces of processed cannabis, SB 155 would also mandate patients who chose to cultivate their herbal medicine do so in an enclosed and locked facility.

Meant to establish a comprehensive system for the cultivation and distribution of medical marijuana, SB 155 seeks to protect the health of its citizens as reserved to its people “under the 10th amendment of the United States Constitution.”

Better late than never, I suppose.