“The General Assembly is the policy-making body of this state, and we’ve seen the problems that result when the governor tries to circumvent the legislature and make unilateral policy decisions,” Republican Attorney General Daniel Cameron said in a statement Thursday. Republican Senate President Robert Stivers said Kentuckians should be concerned that the governor “thinks he can change statute by executive order.” “He simply can’t legalize medical marijuana by executive order; you can’t supersede a statute by executive order because it’s a constitutional separation of powers violation,” Stivers said. Beshear faulted lawmakers for failing to “get the job done,” saying he’d prefer that the legislature pass a measure legalizing medical marijuana. He said such legislation has strong statewide support, and that Kentucky has fallen behind the majority of states that made medical cannabis available as an alternative to opioid medications. “I believe it’s my obligation to see what’s possible, given the will of the people and their desire to move forward on this,” the governor said. Beshear said he has instructed the legal team in his office to analyze potential options for executive action that could create a framework to make medical cannabis available for people suffering from certain medical ailments.
AJC.com: Atlanta Georgia News, AJC Sports, Atlanta Weather, 04/21/2022 20:07:00