Medical marijuana bill heads to state House for a vote

BOWLING GREEN, Ky.- For the first time, a bill to legalize medical marijuana in Kentucky has won initial committee approval and is up for a House vote.

The legislation is sponsored by state Reps. Diane St. Onge and Jason Nemes, both Republicans.

House Bill 136 would allow people with certain medical conditions to be prescribed medical marijuana. It would also allow licensed growers to grow the plant.

Medical marijuana advocates maintain that the drug can help alleviate chronic pain and decrease addiction to opioids.

Tommy Loving director of the Bowling Green-Warren County Drug Task Force disagrees.

“I believe marijuana to be a gateway drug. Everyone that I’ve heard speak about how they became an addicted, marijuana was the first illegal drug they tried,” Loving said.

Critics worry that there hasn’t been enough research on medical marijuana.

“I don’t think we would ask the legislature to vote on what’s the next antibiotic to use, and that’s essentially what we’re doing here. We think that this should go through the FDA process and depend on science and scientific testing,” Loving said.

While Loving staunchly opposes the legalization of medical marijuana, some people in Bowling Green are in favor of it.

“I’m for medical marijuana but it won’t pass because they’re making too much money on it,” said Jennifer Morlan, resident of Bowling Green who has twice run for city commission.

The bill, which cleared the House Judiciary Committee on a 16-1 vote, would not allow medical marijuana to be smoked, and the THC content would be limited to 70 percent.

“I don’t think it should go through the FDA or the government. It should be like Nepal, there’s no laws against it. It’s like growing tomatoes, we should grow more., the better. You can make everything out of it; medicine, blocks, paper. You can do so much with it,” said Joe Gerard, a resident of Bowling Green.

The bill has until March 31 to pass through the state legislature. So far 33 states have legalized medical marijuana.