FRANKFORT, Ky. — As the Kentucky governor race starts to heat up, one Republican candidate looking to unseat Gov. Andy Beshear (D) made his stance on medical marijuana clear on Tuesday.
Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles (R) pledged to get medical marijuana legalized in his first year in office if he were elected, saying he has the policy experience to convince the General Assembly to get it done.
While Beshear passed an executive order pardoning Kentucky patients with medical marijuana in their possession -- as long as it's purchased legally from another state -- Quarles says that's not good enough.
"Andy Beshear’s executive orders are nothing more than temporary half-measures," Quarles said. "They also create zero new opportunities for Kentucky’s farmers and business leaders."
Quarles plans to introduce a "farmer-focused" plan to legalize medical marijuana, putting farmers who grow legal hemp today at the center of the program.
He says the majority of Kentuckians support medical marijuana and that patients need access to it.
"I've talked to healthcare providers, I've talked to patients, [who say] his executive orders bypassing the General Assembly has caused confusion," Quarles said.
"Some Kentucky farmers who grow hemp today are well-positioned to grow medical marijuana tomorrow," he said. "I think that we're at a point where we've learned a lot. We want to make sure we have a Kentucky-driven medical cannabis policy that lets Kentucky farmers benefit from this."
Quarles says he'd also make sure medical marijuana wasn't taxed.
For years, the push for legalization in Frankfort has failed, up against a Republican supermajority in both chambers of the legislature.
University of Kentucky Political Science Professor Stephen Voss says the move to give a policy-based reason for voters to look his way might be the best avenue for Quarles to stand out.
And for a prominent Republican to support medical marijuana legislation, rather than a Democrat, Voss says is significant.
"When you think about what sort of leader is able to make serious policy changes, it often is the ones who go against type," he said. "A Republican changing marijuana laws will have more credibility with their own party when they say, 'Trust me, we've got the right safeguards.'"
Quarles said he believes the use of medical marijuana should be a decision between a patient and their doctor, and that government should get out of the way when it comes to medical treatment.
Quarles said the health benefits don't end with medical marijuana.
He also supports CBD and other cannabinoids derived from hemp that offer wellness benefits.
This is the first of many campaign announcements Quarles says he plans to make. He said he intends on announcing a new "common sense idea" every week.
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