Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said state residents favor legalizing medical cannabis, according to feedback from the governor’s Medical Cannabis Advisory Committee.
“Polling suggests 90 percent of Kentucky adults support legalizing medical cannabis. Our team traveled the state to talk directly to Kentuckians, and they found our people do indeed overwhelmingly support it,” Beshear said. “I appreciate the work of those who participated, and I am taking this information into consideration as I analyze what steps I can take to legalize medical cannabis for those suffering from chronic, debilitating medical conditions.”
The committee traveled to the state to listen to Kentuckians’ views on the topic in town halls and gathered online feedback. It recently released a summary of key findings from that feedback.
The summary revealed that residents of all ages are suffering from chronic conditions, but residents are fearful of the opioids and painkillers that medical providers are prescribing because they don’t provide relief, plus residents are fearful of their addictive properties. Conversely, officials said research indicates individuals cannot overdose from cannabis. As a result, residents are leaving the state to access medical cannabis in states where it is legal. Further, military veterans explained that the use of cannabis significantly eased PTSD. There was no opposition to legalizing medical cannabis at various town meetings.
“Everyone who spoke supported legalizing medical cannabis in Kentucky,” Kerry Harvey, co-chair of the committee and secretary of the Justice and Public Safety Cabinet, said. “We heard from many Kentuckians that use cannabis for its beneficial medical effects but can only do so by breaking the law as it now exists. Many of these Kentuckians must leave the commonwealth to legally obtain medical cannabis in one of the 38 states where it is legal.”
Many town hall attendees said they were better able to engage in daily activities after using cannabis.
“Our nation is dealing with a critical crisis from the overuse of addictive opioids. The people we heard from are looking for pain relief that allows them to live useful, productive lives,” Ray Perry, co-chair of the committee and secretary of the Public Protection Cabinet, said. “We heard about family trauma stemming from unresolved pain and addictive painkillers. We also heard the frustration that politics deprives them of legal access to an efficacious treatment available to an overwhelming majority of Americans.”
In addition to the town hall meetings, Kentuckians also submitted their opinions online. The website received 3,539 comments, with 98.6 percent expressing support for legalizing medical cannabis in Kentucky.