Kansas medical cannabis advocates speak out against medical cannabis pilot program

Last week, a restrictive medical marijuana bill was introduced in the Senate to create a medical cannabis pilot program. This bill has received a lot of criticism from Kansas advocates who support the legalization of medical cannabis. Among the red tape in the bill, the Secretary of Health and Environment, who would administer the program, can enter into no more than four contracts with medical cannabis operators who would have to pay an annual fee of  “no less than $50,000” for the “privilege of being a medical cannabis operator.”

Due to the “extreme restrictions” of the bill, a joint statement by Kansas cannabis advocacy groups across the state was released on Wednesday. The Kansas Cannabis Chamber of Commerce, Kansas Cannabis Coalition, Planted Association, Bleeding Kansas Advocates, ACLU, Loud Light, and other advocates have slammed the bill as a “monopoly that damages Kansas small business owners, producers, and patients.”

“The extreme limitations on medical cannabis in this proposed pilot program are going to hurt more people than they help,” President of Kansas Cannabis Chamber of Commerce Erren Wright said. “Licensing only four people in the state to participate in growing, processing, and dispensing medical cannabis is a disservice to the thousands of small business owners and advocates who have fought for medical cannabis. Most importantly, it is a disservice to the Kansas patients who have waited longer than everyone else in the country to legally access this lifesaving medicine.”

“The current Kansas cannabis community of growers, processors and distributors, like myself, and retailers, do not support the pilot program as it’s been proposed,” SugarLeaf Distributing Owner and Vice-President of Kansas Cannabis Chamber of Commerce Troy Flager said. “There are literally hundreds of Kansas business people involved in the hemp and cannabis supply chain already and 99.9 percent of us are completely cut out of this bill. We’ve spent so much time and money complying with ever-changing regulations in this space. We care about the products we sell and the people who benefit from them. Hopefully elected officials will see through the proposed pilot program and support more reasonable bills that have been proposed over and over again in the state. I certainly want to see progress on the important matter of medical cannabis, but not like this. There are only four winners in the pilot program.”

“We find it very distressing that a bill that should have been focused on patient needs totally discounted them,” Cheryl Kumberg, President of Kansas Cannabis Coalition said. “The Pilot Bill is overly restrictive, does not offer patient protection, and leaves out those living in rural areas. Bills with adequate controls and oversight have been heard in committees for years only to fail. It is time for Kansas to join the 21st century and stop fearmongering based on outdated, incorrect beliefs. Data and science prove whole plant cannabis has an unprecedented safety record. No one has ever died from its use. The FDA recently agreed that cannabis does have medical applications and is less addictive than tobacco and alcohol. It is past time to stop the suffering, grant access to medical cannabis, and develop a new industry using a bill that is equitable, inclusive, and patient centered. SB 555 is not the right bill for Kansans.”

“It is time Kansas enact a medical cannabis program that protects public health, takes into account lessons from other states, and that will pass this legislative body,” Founding President of Planted Association of Kansas Kelly Rippel said. “Unfortunately, SB 555 is the result of an effort by a select few individuals who created a program with the intent of ensuring they not only had a place in the market, but that they controlled it. Other states have seen similar efforts carrying little evidence to back up overall proposals. We ask that lawmakers please consider other options as the concerns and potential risks of this bill do not outweigh its benefits.”

“As one of the last states to embrace a medical cannabis program, Kansas has a real opportunity to learn from all that have gone before and truly get it right,” President of Bleeding Kansas Advocates Lisa Sublett said. “SB 555 in no way gets it right. It’s not right for patients. It’s not right for Kansas business. It’s not right for Kansas. Again, Kansas is one of the last states in the union to embrace medical cannabis. Therefore, there is no need for a pilot program as the rest of the country has already served as that pilot program. The sky has not fallen. The fearmongering is without basis. Good policy must be data driven with expert stakeholders helping to guide lawmakers who are not subject matter experts. For over a decade we have fought for good public health policy in regards to medical cannabis. We will continue to do so. We stand in full objection to SB 555. No monopoly will ever serve the cause of true democracy. This bill does not reflect the values of Kansans. This bill will harm patients and hinder small business economic growth in Kansas. It is a lose, lose. We urge every conscientious lawmaker to vote no on SB 555.”

“SB 555 falls short of a good faith effort at meaningful public health or public safety policy,” ACLU of Kansas Executive Director Micah Kubic said. “It lacks even the faintest glimmer of recognition of the need for racial equity, for community building, or of the devastatingly inequitable impact of decades of our state’s War on Drugs-era laws criminalizing cannabis. Ignoring the scope of devastation of mass incarceration and turning a blind eye to the experiences of the thousands of Kansans who have been or remain in prison is a dereliction, a disappointment, and a dismissal of the voices of a huge majority of Kansans.”

“We are one of the few states in the nation without some sort of legal cannabis program,” Alejandro Rangel-Lopez, campaign manager for New Frontiers and Loud Light said. “While this means we’re behind the curve of some of our neighboring states like Colorado and Missouri, this also means we have the opportunity to avoid the mistakes of other programs and learn how to create one that truly benefits all of us. This is not that bill. We are tired of seeing folks suffer needlessly due to inaction from lawmakers. SB 555 is woefully inadequate in establishing a good program and flies in the face of all the good policy that is already in place elsewhere. It’s time for us to turn a new leaf and welcome new industry, opportunities, options, and futures for all Kansans. Our tax money should be staying here, not funding public expenditure across State Line Road.”

“Why would we need a pilot program when we are the last state in the country to pass medical cannabis reform,” said President of Honk for Hemp Amanda McHenry Brubaker. “The medical cannabis ‘pilot program’ introduced by Michael O’Donnell creates a monopoly by only allowing four companies in the entire state to participate. If you supply CBD or have any interest in medical cannabis production, processing, or distributing in Kansas, have a lawyer read this bill immediately. 

“Any medical cannabis program that rolls out in Kansas should offer a pathway for expungement of non-violent cannabis related crimes, licensing preferences for those negatively affected by the criminalization of cannabis and list substance use disorder among the qualifying conditions. All of these things, and many others are left out of the pilot proposal. Clearly the aim is not equity of any kind.”