A bill to legalize medical marijuana in Kansas may pass imminently, with key lawmakers from both chambers being appointed on Tuesday to a conference committee where they will be charged with hammering out the details for the reform. The path to enacting medical cannabis legalization has proved complicated this legislative session, but advocates are confident that the announcement about the bicameral conference is a firm indicator that legislators are set to act on the policy change within days. A medical marijuana legalization bill that passed the House last year stalled in the Senate earlier this session. Then, a separate Senate bill was discussed in several committee hearings last month as lawmakers worked to find common ground. The latest development is that an unrelated bill, SB 12, will be the vehicle for the cannabis legislation. While that bill passed both chambers in differing forms, it was not ultimately enacted; now its provisions will be replaced with the medical marijuana language. As a result of the procedural maneuver, the measure will not need to advance through the entire legislative committee process, and after conference can do directly to the floor of the House and Senate for votes on sending it to the governor.
Kyle Jaeger, Marijuana Moment, 04/26/2022 18:05:00