Senator
Perry B. Clark of Louisville announced Friday that he has pre-filed the
“Cannabis Freedom Act,” which would regulate the use of cannabis in
Kentucky just as alcohol is regulated.
The
press release from Senator Clark stated that the bill would repeal the
Commonwealth’s current total prohibition on marijuana cultivation,
possession and sale. Senator Perry says the bill would replace the
current prohibition with a framework that would “promote public safety
and responsible cannabis consumption by persons over 21 years of age.”
“It
is abundantly clear to me that cannabis, while being much less harmful,
should be treated the same as alcohol,” said Clark. “The Cannabis
Freedom Act is an outline on how to tax and regulate the sale of
marijuana to adults 21 and older in Kentucky. It is time for this
discussion in our Commonwealth.”
The
act creates a three-tier licensing system which would separate and
regulate cannabis cultivators, processors, and retailers independently
to prevent monopolization and vertical integration.
The
tax revenue generated from the legal cannabis sales would be added to a
restricted fund set up to increase SEEK funding for Kentucky’s public
schools. The tax revenue would provide needs-based scholarships to
Kentucky students who want to attend public institutions of
post-secondary education within Kentucky.
It would also increase funding
for “evidence-based substance abuse treatment programs, provide grants
to local law enforcement agencies to purchase protective equipment and
would provide additional revenue to the general fund,” according to the
press release.
Clark believes that this is a “common sense proposal” and it would move Kentucky in a positive direction.
This bill will be considered during the 2016 Legislative Session which will convene on Tuesday, January 5.
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