Kentucky’s governor Andy Beshear (D) announced this week that he has named members to a medical marijuana committee that will conduct public hearings on the issue and advise him on ways he can advance patient access while the legislature refuses to enact reform.
Beshear made the announcement on Tuesday, issuing an executive order to put 17 experts on the panel that will soon be traveling the state to learn more about public views toward medical cannabis legislation and diving into various aspects of the issue.
“Polling suggests 90 percent of Kentucky adults support legalizing medical cannabis, while at the same time, far too many in our state who could benefit from it are suffering,” Beshear said.
“It is simply time that something more is done,” he said. “I want to make sure every voice is heard as I am weighing executive action that could provide access to medical cannabis in the commonwealth.”
The governor made several recent comments about the possibility of taking executive action on cannabis policy, but with a House-passed medical marijuana legalization bill now dead after the end of the legislative session, he’s expressed openness to administrative action. This latest announcement marks a key step to that end.
Here are the other members, appointed through executive order:
Dr. Amber Cann of La Grange, pharmacy coach and adjunct professor at Spalding University
Julie Cantwell of Rineyville, advocate with Kentuckians for Medical Marijuana
Jennifer Cave of Louisville, member, Stites and Harbison
Eric Crawford of Maysville, advocate
Cookie Crews of Frankfort, commissioner of the Department of Corrections
Dr. John Farmer of Louisville, OB/GYN, medical director of Solid Ground Counseling and Recovery, addiction treatment provider in Louisville, Morehead and Hazard
Dr. Jonathan Hatton of Whitesburg, family medicine, Mountain Comprehensive Health
Brian Jointer of Jeffersonville, Indiana, certified public health worker in Louisville
Dr. Nick Kouns of Lexington, internal medicine, Clark Regional Medical Center
Alex Kreit of Cincinnati, Ohio, director of the Chase Center on Addiction Law and Policy at Northern Kentucky University
Dr. Linda McClain of Louisville, OB/GYN, Commonwealth Counseling Center
Andrew Sparks of Lexington, former assistant U.S. Attorney
Dee Dee Taylor of Louisville, chief executive officer, 502 Hemp Wellness Center
Julie Wallace of Morganfield, Union County Attorney
Kristin Wilcox of Beaver Dam, co-founder of Kentucky Moms for Medical Cannabis
Kreit is a longtime drug policy expert and activist, having founded one of the first chapters of the advocacy organization Students for Sensible Drug Policy in the late 1990s.
“The committee will come together for the first time in the near future to schedule town hall meetings that will be held throughout the commonwealth,” the notice says.
“Townhall meetings will be open to the public for discussion and feedback from residents, local leaders, health care providers and advocacy groups. Meeting details will be released in advance.”
Additionally, the governor’s office announced the launch of a new website “where Kentuckians can learn more about the upcoming work of the advisory committee and submit their own feedback.”
“Allowing Kentuckians diagnosed with certain medical conditions and receiving palliative care to cultivate, purchase, posses and/or use medical cannabis would improve the quality of their lives and may help reduce abuse of other more dangerous and addictive medications, such as opiates,” the governor’s executive order says. “It would also improve Kentucky’s economy by brining new jobs and businesses to the Commonwealth, as well as supporting Kentucky farmers.”
