Gov. Andy Beshear cleared the way Tuesday for a cannabis research center to open as he reviews whether he has the executive authority to singlehandedly legalize medical marijuana in Kentucky.
The governor revealed his action on a bill authorizing the research center at the University of Kentucky. The measure won overwhelming approval from lawmakers on the final day of this year’s legislative session earlier this month.
In his review, the governor preserved the language creating the center. He said he used his line-item veto authority to broaden the center’s work and allow more leeway in picking an oversight board.
The Democratic governor’s line-item vetoes will stand since the Republican-dominated legislature won’t reconvene until January 2023 for its next regular session.
In the final weeks of this year’s session, key lawmakers resisting the legalization of medical cannabis pushed for the research center as an alternative. It would allow more time to study the effectiveness of marijuana in treating certain ailments, they said.
A separate bill to legalize medical marijuana passed the state House but died in the Senate this year. The legalization bill would have strictly regulated the use of cannabis for a list of eligible medical conditions — including cancer, multiple sclerosis, chronic pain, epilepsy and chronic nausea. Republicans have supermajorities in both chambers.
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