A leading Kentucky politician is weighing the idea of legalizing medical marijuana in the state.
House Speaker Greg Stumbo said today he's leaning toward supporting the use of medicinal marijuana and that the topic is worth debating. Legislation to legalize medical marijuana has been introduced in the General Assembly in the past but has never received the support needed to pass.
Stumbo raised the issue after Attorney General Jack Conway sent an advisory letter to Governor Steve Beshear, Agriculture Commissioner James Comer and other state leaders to clarify current law related to marijuana’s cousin, hemp.
Earlier this year, Kentucky lawmakers passed legislation to allow farmers to grow industrial hemp if the federal government ever lifts a longstanding ban. Comer insists industrial hemp could be an economic boon for Kentucky. In the letter, Conway maintains that the federal ban remains firmly in place.
