Kansas lawmakers from both chambers met on Wednesday to start discussing a path forward for medical marijuana legalization in the state. The conference committee convened one day after negotiators were appointed to finalize medical cannabis reform legislation. While no action was taken by the six-member panel, the lawmakers heard a run-down of the most technical differences between a bill that passed the House last year and a measure filed in the Senate this year. Advocates are optimistic that the convening of the conference committee means that legislators intend to send a final bill to the governor, potentially within days. Most of Wednesday’s meeting was led by a staffer who explained how the House-passed substitute of SB 158 differs from a similar Senate bill, SB 560, that was discussed in several committee hearings last month. Members may convene again later on Wednesday to continue working on the legislation, but the overall expectation is that a deal on the reform proposal is within reach. The plan is to incorporate whatever language is agreed upon into a separate, unrelated legislative vehicle that already cleared both chambers in order to expedite passage.
Kyle Jaeger, Marijuana Moment, 04/27/2022 13:35:00