Medical cannabis legislation has been introduced in the Kentucky House of Representatives by state Reps John Sims and Alan Gentry, the Ledger Independent reports. The measure would establish excise taxes of 10 percent for a cultivator, processor, or producer selling directly to a compassion center; taxes of 5 percent for a cultivator, processor, or producer selling to a distributor; and taxes of 5 percent for a distributor selling to a compassion center.
The majority – 80 percent – of the revenues derived from the industry would go to the administration of the medical cannabis trust fund for the operation of the Cannabis Enforcement Program. The remaining 20 percent of the revenues would go to the local medical cannabis trust fund for enforcement of medical cannabis laws, medical cannabis licensing, hiring of drug recognition experts, local evidence-based drug rehabilitation projects, or educational activities within local jails, according to the bill text.
Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes offered support for the measure, saying the state should “waste no more time.”
“What started as a whisper years ago is now a loud chorus. Kentuckians have declared 2018 as the year they expect action on medical marijuana from their legislators. … We’ve heard real, heart-wrenching stories from all over the Commonwealth about how access to cannabis can provide long-lasting and life-changing relief. The serious discussions this task force had have resulted in a solid piece of legislation that can change lives.” – Grimes to the Ledger Independent
If approved, the passage would make Kentucky the 30th state to legalize medical cannabis.
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