Former law enforcement officer turned politician Senator John Schickel from Boone County blocked last sessions version of the bill and is blocking it in committee again this year. Schickel, also a former jailer, may have interest in ensuring that use of marijuana is prohibited as the prison system profits grossly from marijuana convictions.
According to several Northern Kentucky sources the grandstanding centers primarily on his reelection campaign, as the senator is afraid of appearing "soft on drugs" as opposed to the hard line policy indicative of draconian drug warriors echoing 20th century propaganda. Although this platform is dated it still appeals to nanny statist and the aging "moral authority" of neo puritanical prohibitionist who view use, including medical, as a moral shortcoming.
Ironically, this tact creates a defacto alliance between moral prohibitionist and criminal black-marketeers, which in the second most corrupt state in America calls in to question some very serious speculation reminiscent of Kentucky’s ‘corn bread mafia’ or “Bluegrass Conspiracy’ day’s. There's a huge blackmarket out there with a multibillion dollar "unofficial" cash crop, the simple question should be ask who benefits from marijuana remaining illegal?
Despite Senators Schickel's interest in denying cannabis users their freedom of choice and in some cases life saving medication the overwhelming majority of Kentuckians support at least the decriminalization of medical marijuana.
Jamie Montalvo, Director of Kentuckians for Medical Marijuana said there should be a stand-along medical marijuana bill filed next week that would not allow for recreational use.
Unfortunately, removing the recreational provision not only removes the "freedom" from the Cannabis Freedom Act but creates a bifurcation in the licensure of civil liberty(s) as law enforcement will now exhaust more resources to sort out who can legally partake and who's body is criminal, it also will create drug screening inequality as employers & the state alike would now have to distinguish who's urinalysis can be dirty & who they may be discriminating against on medical grounds.
Yesterday in Frankfort, representatives from Kentuckians From Medical Marijuana, Kentucky for Our America Initiative and The Libertarian Party of Kentucky politely and professionally attempted to reach the senator schickel in person for comment & clarification on his position but were turned away by his office attendants in L.R.C.
Although little ground was gained in the capital yesterday, inside a packed Marshall County Library, the “ghost of Gatewood Galbraith” was undoubtably in attendance. "We've got to go beyond the fear," said Paula Willett, a medical marijuana supporter.
For more than 20 years Willett pushed for a medical marijuana law in Kentucky that would allow people like her to legally use the drug. She said doctors told her in the late 1970s it was the best option to deal with her anxiety and depression. "At that point, it ceased being recreational. It was a necessity,” she explained. In recent years she's been told it could help with her glaucoma to relieve pressure around the eye. "The cannabis use was actually keeping the pressure not so high," Willett said.
The spokesman for Kentuckians for Medicinal Marijuana said the group has held more than 30 town halls during the past two years. He said he's met hundreds of people looking for legal help but have no place to turn. "There's many people that don't want to break the law but want to try to have safe access," Jaime Montalvo said.
Montalvo has multiple sclerosis and said marijuana can calm the effects. He created the group years ago to not only find help for himself, but for others who have similar stories. Willett says she's not planning to give up the fight to honor those who've had an end to theirs."The word marijuana was the government's name to make it sound evil when they decided to make it illegal," she said.
According to several Northern Kentucky sources the grandstanding centers primarily on his reelection campaign, as the senator is afraid of appearing "soft on drugs" as opposed to the hard line policy indicative of draconian drug warriors echoing 20th century propaganda. Although this platform is dated it still appeals to nanny statist and the aging "moral authority" of neo puritanical prohibitionist who view use, including medical, as a moral shortcoming.
Ironically, this tact creates a defacto alliance between moral prohibitionist and criminal black-marketeers, which in the second most corrupt state in America calls in to question some very serious speculation reminiscent of Kentucky’s ‘corn bread mafia’ or “Bluegrass Conspiracy’ day’s. There's a huge blackmarket out there with a multibillion dollar "unofficial" cash crop, the simple question should be ask who benefits from marijuana remaining illegal?
Despite Senators Schickel's interest in denying cannabis users their freedom of choice and in some cases life saving medication the overwhelming majority of Kentuckians support at least the decriminalization of medical marijuana.
Jamie Montalvo, Director of Kentuckians for Medical Marijuana said there should be a stand-along medical marijuana bill filed next week that would not allow for recreational use.
Unfortunately, removing the recreational provision not only removes the "freedom" from the Cannabis Freedom Act but creates a bifurcation in the licensure of civil liberty(s) as law enforcement will now exhaust more resources to sort out who can legally partake and who's body is criminal, it also will create drug screening inequality as employers & the state alike would now have to distinguish who's urinalysis can be dirty & who they may be discriminating against on medical grounds.
Yesterday in Frankfort, representatives from Kentuckians From Medical Marijuana, Kentucky for Our America Initiative and The Libertarian Party of Kentucky politely and professionally attempted to reach the senator schickel in person for comment & clarification on his position but were turned away by his office attendants in L.R.C.
Although little ground was gained in the capital yesterday, inside a packed Marshall County Library, the “ghost of Gatewood Galbraith” was undoubtably in attendance. "We've got to go beyond the fear," said Paula Willett, a medical marijuana supporter.
For more than 20 years Willett pushed for a medical marijuana law in Kentucky that would allow people like her to legally use the drug. She said doctors told her in the late 1970s it was the best option to deal with her anxiety and depression. "At that point, it ceased being recreational. It was a necessity,” she explained. In recent years she's been told it could help with her glaucoma to relieve pressure around the eye. "The cannabis use was actually keeping the pressure not so high," Willett said.
The spokesman for Kentuckians for Medicinal Marijuana said the group has held more than 30 town halls during the past two years. He said he's met hundreds of people looking for legal help but have no place to turn. "There's many people that don't want to break the law but want to try to have safe access," Jaime Montalvo said.
Montalvo has multiple sclerosis and said marijuana can calm the effects. He created the group years ago to not only find help for himself, but for others who have similar stories. Willett says she's not planning to give up the fight to honor those who've had an end to theirs."The word marijuana was the government's name to make it sound evil when they decided to make it illegal," she said.
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