Kentucky Rep. Nima Kulkarni (D-Louisville) has pre-filed bills that, if passed, would legalize and de-criminalize certain amounts of marijuana in the state.
The lawmaker released details of the bill on Monday including that her constitutional amendment would let Kentuckians 21 and older possess, use, buy or sell up to one ounce of cannabis without criminal penalty, including having up to five plants for personal use.
As part of the bill, the General Assembly would be tasked with regulating how cannabis is grown, taxed and sold.
Kulkarni has another bill that would have the legislature itself take away criminal penalties for possessing, cultivating and/or selling small amounts of cannabis while maintaining penalties for possessing larger amounts. The amount was not specified.
The bill also would remove cannabis accessories from Kentucky’s drug-paraphernalia statutes.
“I am sponsoring these bills for several reasons, any one of which should be enough for them to become law. First, current cannabis statutes have needlessly and tragically ruined many lives, especially people of color who have suffered because of unequal enforcement. Second, thousands of citizens, from cancer patients to veterans suffering from PTSD, should have the right to use something that gives them the mental and physical relief they deserve without relying on stronger, potentially addictive medicine. Third, cannabis de-criminalization would give the state a much-needed source of reliable revenue without raising current taxes a single cent. And, finally, polls have repeatedly shown a majority of Kentuckians backs de-criminalization and allowing cannabis to be used responsibly by adults,” Kulkarni stated.
Kentucky’s next legislative session begins on Jan. 4.
