LOUISVILLE, Ky. — John Taylor said back in 2007, his then 10-year-old daughter had the routine down.
"Call 911 or call grandpa," he said. "Don't go in the room. Don't get around me. I was, gosh, I would be a danger to her."
The army veteran said his seizures were out of control, and his medications weren't helping. That is until one day, three years later, the Kentuckian found a solution in Oregon - CBD oil.
Taylor said he learned how to manufacture it and created his business, Commonwealth Extracts. It supplies stores with hemp-derived products, including his wife's store - Dee Dee Taylor's 502Hemp.
Now, Kentuckians suffering from chronic illness will have an even more potent alternative.
Gov. Andy Beshear signed an executive order Tuesday afternoon, making it legal to access medical marijuana for those diagnosed with one of 21 different illnesses.
"Kentuckians suffering from these chronic and terminal conditions will soon be able to get the help they need without living in fear of being charged with a misdemeanor," he said.
One veteran at Tuesday's conference said this is a game-changer.
"I started dropping medication after medication after medication," Jared Bonvell recalled. "My mom looked at me and she said you've got your soul back. My daughter got her father back. I got healthy. I saw a future, but then I was faced with, but now you're a criminal."
Taylor said he relates to the secrecy and shame. He hid his use of CBD oil and didn't start his business until hemp was legalized in Kentucky.
"It's time we all get over ourselves," Taylor said. "You know, we asked those young men and women to go and they went, and they did so without question. And now it's our responsibility for what we created."
In a series of tweets, Attorney General Daniel Cameron opposed the executive action.
He said Beshear has attempted to bypass the policy-making authority of the General Assembly. Cameron also says the General Assembly is the sole and final policy-making body of this state, and he's reviewing these executive orders to determine next steps.
Beshear says only a constitutional amendment can overturn the orders.
The governor's second executive order allows the state to regulate the sale of Delta 8. It's another type of cannabis that contains a lower level of THC than marijuana.
His Medical Cannabis Advisory Committee surveyed the Commonwealth, and they said they didn't hear any opposition at the town hall meetings over the summer.
Dee Dee Taylor was a part of that committee.
"This is literally going to be life-changing for so many Kentuckians," she said. "I am so honored to be a part of it."
More than 3,500 people commented on the online survey, with more than 98% of responses expressing support for legalizing medical marijuana.
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