Kentucky Gov. Counters Lawmaker’s Call for Prosecuting Licensees Who Follow Qualifying Conditions Expansion

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear (D) pushed back against comments made recently by House Majority Whip Jason Nemes (R), who called for the prosecution of organizations and licensees who follow the governor’s recent executive order to expand the state’s medical cannabis qualifying conditions list. 

During his weekly press conference last Thursday, Beshear said he was “surprised” by Nemes’ calling “on the Attorney General to prosecute people dying of a terminal illness for securing medical cannabis.”

“I mean, that’s a complete lack of humanity. I mean, an individual with ALS, you want to prosecute. And that is certainly not leadership, and even for that individual, is a new record low. Let me say this: Sometimes we see people make these threats, and in this current culture, I think they think it’s masculinity, but masculinity isn’t the bully on the playground. It’s being the person that stands between the bully and the person they’re picking on.” — Beshear, during the press conference, via the Kentucky Lantern

The governor added that it is his “job to stand in between those bullies and these individuals that have these very serious conditions that are saying ‘just give me something that isn’t addictive, that isn’t opioids, and that can help me.’”

Nemes to the Lantern that Beshear’s rebuke was “unfair.” 

“I said licensee. I’m not talking about a sick person,” he told the Lantern. “For six years, I’ve put everything I had in that bill and got it passed.”

He added that his comments were “not coming at this from the perspective of someone who’s not supportive of the program.” 

“I put my heart and soul and everything I had for sick people,” Nemes told the Lantern. “I’m very proud of this, of getting that bill passed.”

Nemes said Beshear’s executive action is “jeopardizing” the medical cannabis program because expanding the qualifying conditions list “even if…right” is “not for him to decide.”