New Bill Would Expand Access to Medical Marijuana

There is a new effort to expand access to medical marijuana in Kentucky. Legislation introduced in the state Senate last Friday would allow more Kentuckians to use medical marijuana than currently outlined in Senate Bill 47.

Introduced by Republican state Sen. Stephen West, Senate Bill 337 would expand the current list of conditions from six to 21. Under Kentucky’s current medical marijuana law, set to go into effect in 2025, only residents with epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, chronic nausea or vomiting, cancer, severe or chronic pain and post-traumatic stress disorder can qualify for the program.

What conditions would qualify for medical marijuana use under the new bill?

SB 337 introduces an expanded list of qualifying conditions, including:

• Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)

• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) or Lou Gehrig’s disease

• Arthritis

• Cachexia or wasting syndrome

• Cancer, regardless of type, form or stage

• Chronic nausea or cyclical vomiting syndrome resistant to treatment

• Chronic, severe intractable or debilitating pain

• Epilepsy and other intractable seizure disorders

• Fibromyalgia

• Glaucoma

• Hepatitis C

• Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)

• Huntington’s disease

• Irritable bowel disease, including Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis

• Multiple sclerosis, muscle spasms, spasticity

• Muscular dystrophy

• Neuropathies

• Parkinson’s disease

• Post-traumatic stress disorder

• Sickle cell disease

• Terminal illnesses

What are its chances of becoming law?

SB 337 has been referred to the chamber’s health services committee, and the legislation will need three reads before it can get a full vote in the Senate. It may face a difficult path to passage, given it is much more permissive than its predecessor, SB 47. The new legislation also closely follows the original list of qualifying conditions Gov. Andy Beshear included in his 2022 executive order on the issue.