Decriminalization of the use of Cannabis for Medical Purposes
On November 15, 2022, Kentucky Govenor Andy Beshear put forth an Executive Order for the decriminalization of the possession of Medical Cannabis. Eligibility is based upon if the requirements are met, and it has been approved by your licensed physician. This is a step in a positive direction. As a state with high rates of opiate and other addictive drug-related deaths, the decriminalization of marijuana for medical purposes is the push Kentucky needs to lower these deathrates. This order both allows doctors around the Commonwealth to sign off on patients with illnesses that require high doses of prescribed opioids, for something less addictive and fatal, medical marijuana, but it also allows citizens with fatal illnesses to have access to something other than the expensively addictive opioids that are still so very present in our society.
Govenor Andy Beshear used an executive order to pass this into Kentucky law since, in his words, “Past efforts to legalize Medical Cannabis through legislation have failed in the General Assembly.” A staggering 90 percent of Kentucky adults who were polled before his executive order show support for this action, even if it was criminalized to possess or grow it at the time. In states which had legalized Medical Cannabis there was a 64 percent drop in opioid use among people who suffer from chronic pain. This is a great statistic to pay attention to, since this is a real study on real people, who have made the choice for a better option. Medical Cannabis appears to be a great aid for residents of Kentucky who suffer daily from detrimental illnesses.
Citations:
Beshear, Andy. Executive Order 2022-798, 15 Nov. 2022, https://governor.ky.gov/attachments/20221115_Executive-Order_2022-798_Medical-Cannabis.pdf. Accessed 8 Dec. 2022.
