‘Time that we act’: Louisville Democrat pushes for marijuana law change
FRANKFORT, Ky. — One Louisville Democrat is once again calling for change when it comes to marijuana.
This year, Minority Whip State Sen. David Yates, D-Louisville, filed Senate Bill 33 and Senate Bill 36. The first would decriminalize having a small amount of marijuana and expunge convictions for low-level possession charges.
The other bill seeks to amend the state constitution and give people 21 and older the right to buy, sell or grow small amounts of cannabis without prosecution.
“It's time that we act,” Yates said. “It's time that we listen to our constituents, and we do what's right not just for the people, but also economically for Kentucky.“
Yates’ legislation comes just days after the state legalized medical marijuana, which allows patients with certain medical conditions to buy cannabis from dispensaries. Marijuana possession outside of the program is still illegal.
Minority Whip State Sen. David Yates, D-Louisville. (Spectrum News 1/Mason Brighton)
He added for many people, a past conviction for a low-level drug charge can be a barrier for finding meaningful employment, which is something his bills would address.
“People are being treated differently in different situations,” Yates said. “And I think it's important to put in the books that we do lower the offense that in the event that it's under eight ounces of marijuana or a cultivation under five plants, that you no longer have that arrest.”
Similar legislation to Yates’ has also been filled in the house by State Rep. Nima Kulkarni, D-Louisville.
“We have better things to do with our time and resources," Yates said. "Our police officers are overstretched, our resources are overstretched and they should be concentrating on the hard crimes. They should be concentrating (on) the drug offenses that are killing our children.”
Kentucky NORML, an organization focused on marijuana law reform, supports the changes proposed by Yates.
Among its legislative priorities, the organization also would like to see more qualifying conditions added to the medical marijuana program such as anxiety and opioid use disorder.
“So this is an exit drug for a lot of those people,” said Matthew Bratcher, Kentucky NORML executive director Matthew Bratcher. “And having it available on there for people I think could go a really long way to getting Kentuckians healthy.”
Bratcher said he thinks adding additional qualifying conditions will also help clear up confusion for some potential patients who may not believe they can participate in the program.
“We like to get as much done as possible in the 30 days that they're in, so there are a lot of conversations to be had,” Bratcher said.
A bill filed in 2024 to add additional conditions was not given a committee assignment.
Two years ago, Kentucky lawmakers passed a bill legalizing medical cannabis on the final day of the 2023 legislative session. It is uncertain whether the legislature, which is controlled by Republicans in both chambers, will move on any marijuana-related bills this session.
