22 February 2024
TOPEKA (KSNT) – An impromptu debate over marijuana came up on the Kansas House floor on Wednesday. Lawmakers took up House Bill 2596, an annual requirement for the state to make changes to its controlled substances list. It’s to align the state’s list with federal law.
“Thirty-eight drugs were added, 10 were rescheduled, one was deleted,” said Rep. Bill Clifford, a Republican from Garden City.
The new substances added to the Uniform Controlled Substances Act would include 23 fentanyl-related controlled substances. The bill faced no opposition in committee.
However, the debate quickly turned to the state’s marijuana laws. Rep. Silas Miller, a Democrat from Wichita, made a motion to amend the bill. His amendment would have removed cannabis from the scheduled drug list entirely.
“Did you know that our neighboring state of Missouri just realized $1.3 billion… added to the Missouri economy in just the past seven months?” said Rep. Pam Curtis, a Democrat from Kansas City. “I think the time has long come that we should reconsider our policies.”
Rep. Curtis argued the amendment could promote further research on marijuana, saying researchers would face less strict regulatory controls. She also argued people may contend with fewer barriers to employment.
Rep. Clifford, along with other Republicans, argued against the amendment.
“Legalization of marijuana is a very serious issue that’s been considered in many states. Marijuana is still a Schedule 1 drug at the federal level, considered to have no medical value and high abuse potential,” Rep. Clifford said. “If we’re going to have that debate, we need to vet the issue properly through the committee process.”
Forty-one lawmakers voted in favor of the amendment and 80 voted against it, sinking the push from Democrats.
The House is set to take final action on House Bill 2596 on Thursday. If it passes, it will go to the Senate.