Last week, Kentucky Governor Beshear signed Senate Bill 47, that will eventually create medical cannabis access for some KY residents. After passing through the legislature with solid support and an enthusiastic Governor, this new law lays out a fairly restrictive program with a very long implementation period.

Kentucky’s Cabinet for Health and Family Services will have until January of 2025 to devise the rules and regulations necessary for the system. Which unfortunately, means patients will continue to suffer in the meantime.

Here is what you need to know about the new law…

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We are excited to say that the Biden White House is now accepting applications for the pardon of anyone convicted of Simple Possession of Cannabis by a Federal Court (including D.C.’s courts). ASA has been fighting to protect patients and cannabis providers from being unjustly arrested for 20 years and we are very pleased to see the Biden administration starting to address the harms of the “war on drugs.” See our October 2022 Activist Newsletter for more information about this federal action.

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After 25 years of the state cannabis policy experiments, there is no denying that the national acceptance of cannabis has changed. In a recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, researchers found that one in three Americans are utilizing medical cannabis to manage chronic pain, all but two U.S. states and most of the territories have passed laws creating some form of access to cannabis products, and public support for medical cannabis remains at an all-time high.

State policymakers and regulators should be commended for taking on the task of serving their residents against federal intransigence, under threat and, at times, facing brutal enforcement undermining their efforts. While preparing this report, it was impossible to overlook the immense amount of work that patient advocates and state policy makers have undertaken to create these medical cannabis programs, and the daunting challenges still facing them.

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Almost every conversation I have had in 2023 with medical cannabis stakeholders has been full of doom and gloom. Advocates are discouraged, businesses are frustrated, patients are disheartened, and frankly I am getting a little tired of it!

The reason things feel stagnate is because maybe you forgot there has always been a plan for Act II in this journey and Act I has played its course.

Policies, like patients, get infected if they stay in triage for too long.

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On January 5, 2023, the Arizona Supreme Court declined to accept an appeal from the Arizona Department of Child Safety, letting stand a lower court decision that Lindsay Ridgell’s medicinal use of cannabis while pregnant did not constitute child neglect and ordered her name be removed from the state’s child abuse registry. 

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This year's National Medical Cannabis Unity conference marked not only 10 years of Unity, but also ASA’s 20th year of advocacy! Because this marked such a special occasion, we didn’t want anyone to miss a thing. That is why we have made Unity available for you to watch and share with others!

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This year Americans for Safe Access celebrated our 20-year anniversary. During 2022, I spent a lot of time reconnecting with ASA members and supporters. One common thing I heard from everyone was despair about the state of medical cannabis in the U.S. 

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Anniversaries are a time to reflect and remember. For the holiday season, ASA is compiling stories from our friends, allies, and members to share with our community. We invite you to take a few minutes to make a short video on the Tribute platform.

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This year Americans for Safe Access is celebrating our 20-year anniversary, and in the spirit of the occasion we are taking some time to reflect on the impact we have had on bringing safe access to the U.S., explore the challenges still facing us today, and to recommit to the future for everyone who needs safe access to medical cannabis. In preparing for this year’s conference, I had the opportunity to reflect on this organization that I helped co-found and the amazing people that have carried her banner over the years.

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