Kentucky stays one among 13 states with out protected entry to medical marijuana, however it doesn’t have to be that means. Kentuckians have a uncommon alternative to guide the American hashish trade, however provided that Republican legislative leaders enable it. The excellent news is that the majority Kentuckians agree that marijuana must be authorized in Kentucky. The unhealthy information is that Republican legislative leaders don’t appear to care.
Gov. Andy Beshear and Democratic Celebration leaders have voiced their assist for passing medical marijuana this legislative session. However all the need on this planet from Democrats isn’t price a lot in Frankfort as a result of Republicans management each chambers with supermajorities.
Polling exhibits that 59% of Kentuckians assist legalizing marijuana, which is above the nationwide common of 57%, primarily based on knowledge collected between July 2019 and January 2021 by the Democracy Fund and UCLA Nationscape. This knowledge was printed all through the 2020 election cycle by USA Today. The identical ballot exhibits that solely 25% of Kentuckians have been in opposition to legalization, whereas 15% stay not sure.
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It’s not only a majority of Kentuckians who imagine we must always legalize marijuana, however a majority of Kentucky Republicans, too. When damaged down alongside celebration traces, marijuana legalization is supported by 71% of Democrats (and independents who lean Democratic) and 52% of Republicans (and leaners).
It’s essential to notice that the survey query requested about “legalizing marijuana,” as in full legalization. If Republican assist for full legalization is that this excessive, then assist for medical marijuana is sort of actually increased.
Republican assist for marijuana legalization is barely 45% in Kentucky’s Second Congressional District, which incorporates Elizabethtown, Owensboro and Bowling Inexperienced. However in each different Congressional district in Kentucky, Republican assist for marijuana is over 55%, bringing the state common of Republicans’ assist for legalization to 52%. Solely 34% of Republicans oppose legalization, whereas 14% are undecided.
When checked out generationally, youthful Republicans are considerably extra prone to assist marijuana legalization than older Republicans. In truth, the distinction throughout generations of Kentucky Republicans is greater than 20%. Sixty-four % of Era Z Republicans (those that are 18 to 25 years previous) assist legalization, whereas solely 42% of Republican Child Boomers agree that hashish must be authorized in Kentucky.
In truth, the one age group the place Republican assist is under 50% is Child Boomers and above. Nearly each different age group helps full legalization.
It appears clear from this polling that Kentucky stays one among 13 states with out medical marijuana as a result of the 34% of Republicans who’re against legalization are stopping the remainder of Kentucky from shifting ahead. Advocacy for altering this unhappy truth has been met with a dismissive angle for years, with legislative leaders telling voters that marijuana legalization would by no means occur in Kentucky. That’s merely not true.
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It doesn’t take a weatherman to know which means the wind blows. Of the seven states that border Kentucky, 5 have legalized medical marijuana – Missouri, Illinois, Ohio, West Virginia and Virginia. And of those self same states, totally authorized hashish is now obtainable in Illinois, will quickly be obtainable in Virginia and can probably get handed in Missouri this 12 months.
How lengthy can we enable one-third of the Republican Celebration to dictate Kentucky’s hashish coverage? If Republican management continues to face in the best way of the desires of its personal celebration, it won’t be quickly forgotten. The time for legalization is now.
Jim Higdon is the co-founder of Cornbread Hemp and the creator of The Cornbread Mafia. He resides in Louisville. Jim is a Kentucky native with levels from Centre Faculty, Brown College, and the Columbia College Graduate Faculty of Journalism. He labored briefly for the New York Instances earlier than returning residence to write down his first e book, “The Cornbread Mafia.” Printed in 2012, the Cornbread Mafia tells the story of the most important home marijuana syndicate in American historical past. The e book’s success opened the door to a journalism profession, permitting Jim to cowl Kentucky information for the Washington Put up and hashish coverage for POLITICO. Jim leveraged his experience and connections within the hemp trade to co-found Cornbread Hemp along with his cousin Eric Zipperle.
