FRANKFORT, Ky. — After many years of tireless advocacy work to legalize medical marijuana in Kentucky, Eric Crawford of Maysville was in disbelief Thursday evening shortly after the Senate voted to do so by a wide margin — setting up a clear path to passage into law in two weeks.
“I’m shocked,” said Crawford, the leading advocate for medical marijuana in the halls of Frankfort for the past decade. “Now it’s time for the House.”
Senate Bill 47 to legalize and regulate medical marijuana in Kentucky passed the Senate by a bipartisan 26-11 vote, the first time it has ever been given the opportunity for a floor vote in the chamber.
Sen. Steven West, R-Paris, the chief sponsor of SB 47, said on the floor that his five-year journey to push medical cannabis began when he met his constituent Crawford, a quadriplegic since a vehicle accident 30 years who says marijuana is the only safe and effective treatment for his severe pain and muscle spasms.
More:Kentucky Senate committee advances bill to legalize medical marijuana, as clock ticks
“It’s time for Kentucky to join the other 37 states that allow medical marijuana as an option for their citizens,” West said, adding that those who need medical relief from the drug should be able to do so “without being considered a criminal.”
The bill now heads to the House, where similar legislation has cleared the chamber two out of the past three years with large majorities. If the bill receives its first reading in the House before midnight…
