BY ROGER SMITH
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN

FRANKFORT — The Team Kentucky Medical Cannabis Advisory Committee wants to hear from you about why cannabis is an important issue to you. The committee will soon travel the state and listen to views on medical cannabis and provide that feedback to Gov. Andy Beshear.

Following up on his announcement in late April, Beshear announced Tuesday the 17 committee members that will help advise him on providing access to medical cannabis for Kentuckians suffering from chronic pain and other medical conditions.

Beshear said the 17 have relevant experience in health care, treatment of opioid use disorder and other diseases of addiction, law enforcement, criminal justice and advocacy for medical cannabis.

“Polling suggests 90 percent of Kentucky adults support legalizing medical cannabis, while at the same time, far too many in our state who could benefit from it are suffering,” Beshear said.

“It is simply time that something more is done. I want to make sure every voice is heard as I am weighing executive action that could provide access to medical cannabis in the commonwealth.”

The committee will come together for the first time in the near future to schedule town hall meetings that will be held throughout the state. Townhall meetings will be open to the public for discussion and feedback from residents, local leaders, health care providers and advocacy groups. Meeting details will be released in advance.

Beshear also announced the launch of a new website where Kentuckians can learn more about the upcoming work of the advisory committee and submit their own feedback. The website is medicalcannabis.ky.gov.

A total of 38 states – including neighboring Illinois, Missouri, Ohio, Virginia and West Virginia – allow cannabis for medical for such medical conditions as cancer, ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease, epilepsy and seizures, Parkinson’s disease, Crohn’s disease, multiple sclerosis, severe and chronic pain and post-traumatic stress disorder.