According to Associated Press, nearly four-fifths of U.S. states have legalized medical marijuana.
To apply for a medical cannabis card in Kentucky, people must get written certification from a medical provider of a qualifying condition, such as cancer, multiple sclerosis, chronic pain, epilepsy, chronic nausea, or post-traumatic stress disorder.
Jesse Green, legal and policy advisor for The Family Foundation in Lexington, tells AFN the law was passed two legislative sessions ago.
"They had a delayed start date so they could make any updates that they needed to do," he details. "We opposed it … because we are concerned with a lot of the trends in states that have adopted medical marijuana then using that as a spring point to go full recreational."
His organization is concerned with what this means for society, especially children.
"We've seen in a lot of states that the marketing of these products, marijuana products, has seemed to be directed at kids; you have packaging that looks like gummies that you'd buy at Walmart or Kroger," says Green. "We're also concerned with a lot of the research that has been done recently about the mental effects of marijuana use."
The last thing he wants to see is easier access for people who are vulnerable.
"We think that medical marijuana is just an avenue to create that greater access and could cause a number of problems down the road," Green reiterates.
