The legalization of medical marijuana may become a reality in the state of Kansas in 2023.
Rob Olson, a Republican senator from Olathe and the chair of the 2022 Medical Marijuana Special Committee, announced during a committee meeting on December 9th that he plans to introduce legislation on medical marijuana in the Senate at the start of the 2023 legislative session.
Over the past few months, the committee has been holding a series of meetings to discuss drafting the 2023 Medical Marijuana Legalization Act and what improvements can be made from the failed legislation this year.
During this year's legislative session, Kansas made several attempts to legalize medical marijuana but ultimately failed. These included a medical marijuana proposal that was left pending in the Senate in May, a bill that was passed by the House but never received support in the Senate, and a Senate bill. According to a report by Cannabis Business Times, Senator Olson introduced a bill in March.
As reported by CBT, legislators held two hearings in October: one to hear testimony from law enforcement agencies, state agencies, and local governments, and another to hear testimony from the public on the issue at hand.
According to the Kansas Reflector, lawmakers discussed research on social equity, packaging and labeling, procurement restrictions, and local taxation during their most recent meeting on December 9th.
After a series of meetings, Olsen announced that he is planning to propose a bill to legalize medical marijuana to the Senate at the start of the legislative session in 2023.
I think what I need to do is warmly welcome any member to obtain this information and draft a bill," said Olsen. "I will work with several members to draft a bill, and if someone wants to sign the bill in the Senate, they will be able to do so and introduce it at the start of the meeting.
According to a news media report, Olsen also encouraged members of the House of Representatives who are part of the Medical Marijuana Special Committee to introduce a separate bill in their chamber.
The entire issue dates back to last year when we had a very strong bill pass in the House of Representatives, but Senate Majority Leader Ty Masterson did not allow it to move forward," said Senator Cindy Holscher of D-Overland Park. "I know that members of different political parties have been reaching out to remind him of how important this issue is to many different people. So, only time will tell what will happen.
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