By now, most everyone has heard some pundit or another say something along the lines of “the big surprise winner of the November elections is actually marijuana!” It is true that, despite the majority of the news cycles focusing on the presidential race, several states voted to legalize the use of marijuana, either recreationally or for medical use.
Even before the national elections in November, several other states passed pro-marijuana legislation on their own time, like our neighbor to the south Louisiana.
Just a decade ago, these kinds of legislative measures would have been difficult to imagine, especially in the historically conservative South. Now, however, things that would have been unthinkable in many political and social arenas are up for reconsideration.
Kentucky is now on the short list for many social and political prognosticators attempting to predict which states will be in the next wave to pass some from of pro-marijuana legislation.
Those who follow the issue may remember that the past two years have seen the introduction of pro-marijuana legislation that was rejected. However, Kentucky State Senator Perry Clark has once again stepped up to the plate for another round, filing Cannabis Compassion Act for consideration in 2017. It remains to be seen if the public opinion on the controversial plant has shifted enough for Kentucky to reconfigure its laws, or if she will hold fast to her current positions.
Of course, until some new laws are passed, either at the state or federal level, the possession and use of marijuana remain illegal. If you have been charged with a drug crime, you owe it to yourself and to you future to fight these charges with the best help that you can acquire. Drug charges can carry exceptionally stiff penalties, and no one should have to pay for one foolish moment for the rest of their lives.
Source: Weed News, “7 States To Watch In 2017 For Marijuana Legalization,” Jason Barker, Jan. 02, 2017