Medical Marijuana Legalization In 2017

Some states have already had medical marijuana legislation introduced for the 2017 session. Medical marijuana legalization in these states are highly likely:

North Carolina

North Carolina’s chances of legalization are slim comapritivley, but there is hope. A CBD only biill, House Bill 1220, was approved in 2014, giving patients with intractable epilepsy access to low-THC extracts, and it’s expected that new legislation will be introduced in the new session.

A Public Policy Polling survey conducted in April 2016 found that 74 percent of North Carolina voters favor legalizing medical marijuana, which marks an all-time high for support.

Kentucky

Kentucky’s chances of marijuana legalization in the next session is high. Presently Kentucky has a medical CBD bill, a highly-limiting law that allows patients with intractable epilepsy and a written recommendation from a physician to get access to CBD oil.

Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin  has stated “there is unequivocal medical evidence” that medical marijuana is therapeutically beneficial and that “it should be prescribed like any other prescription drug.”

A 2013 Kentucky Health Issues Poll found that 78 percent of Kentuckians support legalizing marijuana for medicinal purposes.

Missouri

Senate Bill 56 would allow for the use and cultivation of medical marijuana. Senate Bill 153 would legalize medical marijuana but not allow for patients to cultivate cannabis at home. Republican Representative and physician Jim Neely introduced House Bill 437, which would add marijuana to the state’s “Right to Try Act” and give terminally ill patients legal access.

“Missourians fighting for their lives don’t have time to wait for the FDA to approve investigational treatments that contain cannabis,” said Neely, who lost his daughter to stage four cancer in 2015.

Polling conducted last July found support for medical marijuana legalization among Missouri voters to be at 62 percent.

 Texas

Lawmakers passed the Compassionate Use Program in 2015 to legalize low-THC cannabis oil for patients suffering from intractable epilepsy and recent developments suggest that the state could expand the program to allow for full strength marijuana in the coming year or two.

“I think you’ll have a really spirited but well-informed discussion, and at some point I could really foresee, in the future, marijuana and some other oils being legalized for medicinal purposes; it will probably be the first step in Texas,” Houston Police Chief Acevedo said.

Marijuana Policy Project is working on a bill that would “amend the current law to allow access for patients suffering from other debilitating conditions, remove the limitations on THC cannabis, and help protect doctors by allowing them to recommend rather than prescribe medical marijuana.”

Polls found that 71 percent of Texas voters support expanding medical marijuana treatments for patients suffering from other health problems.

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