Kentucky Senate Will Not Vote on Medical Cannabis Bill

Kentucky Senate Majority Leader Damon Thayer (R) told reporters on Tuesday that there are “not enough votes” to pass medical cannabis reforms with only three days left in the state’s legislative session, WHAS 11 reports. The measure was approved by the House earlier this month.

Thayer had previously indicated he would bring the bill up for a vote in the chamber were there enough support from lawmakers.

Democratic state Sen. Morgan McGarvey disagreed with Thayer’s assessment and said that even if it were true, the Senate should still vote on the proposal before the end of the session.

“The people of Kentucky deserve to know who supports it and who doesn’t,” he said in the report.

In January, Senate President Robert Stivers (R) said he was open to discussing the medical cannabis bill but had personal concerns about advancing it.

It is the third time the House has approved a medical cannabis bill and the Senate has not taken it up. The measure was limited in its scope, allowing only patients with cancer, multiple sclerosis, chronic pain, epilepsy, chronic nausea, and post-traumatic stress disorder to access the program.

After Wednesday’s session, Kentucky lawmakers will take a 10-day break before returning to the Capitol on April 13 and 14 for the final two days of the 2022 term. The proposal had passed the House 59-34.