(Mar. 28, 2024) – Today, the Senate Federal and State Committee, chaired by Sen. Mike Thompson (R-Shawnee), held a hearing on Senate Bill 555. The legislation creates the Medical Cannabis Pilot Program Act and establishes the Medical Cannabis Pilot Program to be administered by the secretary of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. The bill includes a sunset for the pilot program of July 1, 2029. It specifies no person is allowed to grow, harvest, process, sell, barter, transport, deliver, furnish or otherwise possess any form of cannabis except as proved in the bill or the Commercial Industrial Hemp Act. The use, possession or administration of medical cannabis would not be allowed on federal land located in Kansas. The secretary is authorized to enter into contracts with medical cannabis operators as specified in the bill. The annual fee for operators is $50,000. The bill includes requirements for those entering into contracts and includes requirements, restrictions and prohibitions for the contracts entered pursuant to the Act. The bill specifies all requirements, restrictions and prohibitions for medical cannabis operators, facilities and products. This includes building, zoning, security and location specifications for facilities. The bill requires batches of medical cannabis and medical cannabis products to be tested and certified for use or consumption by a state-contracted laboratory. The process and requirements for testing, as well as remediation for noncompliant batches is detailed in the bill. The bill also includes conflict of interest provisions. The secretary is authorized to enter into a contract with one or more pharmacies to operate a distribution hub for the purpose of dispensing medical cannabis products in the state. The bill outlines related requirements. There is an annual fee of not less than $500 for pharmacies operating as a distribution hub.
Proponents:
- Samuel Jones, Kansas Natural Remedy
- Michael Snyder, private citizen
- Nicholas Reinecker, private citizen
- Dr. Chad Issinghoff, private citizen
Opponents:
- Tony Mattivi, director, Kansas Bureau of Investigations
- Phillis Setchell, Culture Shield Network
- Kelsey Olson, Kansas Department of Agriculture
- Katie Whisman, Stand Up for Kansas
- Eric Voth, MD, Kansas Medical Society
- Sen. Mark Steffan (R-Hutchinson)
Neutral Conferees:
- Ashley Goss, Kansas Department of Health and Environment
- Susan Gile, Kansas State Board of Healing Arts
- Travis Oller, Kansas Chiropractic Association
- Brian Posler, Lamar Advertising Company
The committee voted to table the bill until Jan. 1, 2025, signaling the likely end of the discussion regarding medical marijuana for the 2024 legislative session.