After cannabis legislation went through the cracks of another General Assembly session, Gov. Andy Beshear hopes a new team can demonstrate Kentucky support for medical cannabis.
In April, he said he was exploring the legality of the executive action on the issue and announced the formation of the medical cannabis advisory team. On Tuesday, he announced the names of the initial 17 members.
“The second thing I talked about was an advisory board, one with different people who could not only give their advice, but also be heard by the administration,” Beshear said in a video posted on social media.
The team represents a wide range of backgrounds: lawyers, prison staff, health professionals, and cannabis advocates.
They are tasked with organizing statewide town halls and gathering public comment on cannabis legislation.
Lawmakers have made several attempts over the past decade to legalize cannabis in some way.
They passed a bill legalizing cannabis oil, or “CBD,” in 2014. CBD oil is commonly used to treat chronic pain and seizures without the “high” associated with normal cannabis.
In 2015, a medical cannabis bill was presented to the House Health and Welfare Committee. He died before being taken to the General Assembly.
House Bill 136 is the last bipartisan attempt to legalize medical cannabis. Although it was passed in the House in the 2022 session, it was not passed by the Senate. A similar bill in 2020 he never made it to the Senate.
“Like many of you, I was dismayed and frustrated when the General Assembly failed to re-enact legislation on the legalization of medical marijuana,” Beshear said. “It simply came to our notice then. Many other states have some version to provide a level of relief to the veteran with PTSD or someone with chronic pain. “
The Beshear advisory team is co-chaired by Justice and Security Cabinet Secretary Kerry Harvey and Public Protection Cabinet Secretary Ray Perry. The team consists of:
- Dra. Amber Cann de La Grange, pharmacy coach and adjunct professor at Spalding University
- Julie Cantwell of Rineyville, a medical marijuana advocate with Kentuckians
- Jennifer Cave of Louisville, member, Stites and Harbison
- Eric Crawford of Maysville, lawyer
- Frankie Cookie Crews, Commissioner of the Corrections Department
- Dr. John Farmer of Louisville, OB-GYN, Medical Director of Solid Ground Counseling and Recovery, Addiction Treatment Provider in Louisville, Morehead and Hazard
- Dr. Jonathan Hatton of Whitesburg, Family Medicine, Mountain Comprehensive Health
- Brian Jointer of Jeffersonville, Ind., A certified public health worker in Louisville
- Dr. Nickington Kouns of Lexington, Internal Medicine, Clark Regional Medical Center
- Alex Kreit of Cincinnati, Ohio, director of the Chase Center on Addiction Law and Policy at Northern Kentucky University
- Dr. Linda McClain of Louisville, OB-GYN, Commonwealth Counseling Center
- Andrew Sparks of Lexington, former U.S. Assistant Prosecutor
- Dee Dee Taylor of Louisville, CEO of 502 Hemp Wellness Center
- Julie Wallace of Morganfield, Union County Attorney
- Kristin Wilcox of Beaver Dam, co-founder of Kentucky Moms for Medical Cannabis
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