FRANKFORT, Ky. — About two dozen advocates held a cannabis lobby day in Frankfort on Tuesday.

They support the use of marijuana both for recreation and medical uses, and met with state lawmakers in hopes of advancing bills that would expand cannabis access in Kentucky.

“We’re not criminals, we’re patients,” advocate Jeff Moore said.

Moore said he was critically injured after being hit by a school bus. To ease his pain, he was prescribed opioids, but has now replaced the pills with cannabis.

He is advocating for marijuana use beyond what the state currently allows in its medical program.

“It’s why it stays in our system for 30 days,” said advocate Charlotte Gwynn Garcia. “Our bodies are using the components to heal us.”

Republican Senator Lindsey Tichenor from Smithfield and Democratic Senator David Yates from Louisville heard arguments for cannabis decriminalization.

“The fact that medicinal cannabis moved forward considering that it’s still a Schedule I [drug] is a huge deal for the state of Kentucky,” Tichenor said, referencing marijuana’s classification on the federal level.

The Family Foundation, a Christian public policy nonprofit, is trying to roll back Kentucky’s medical marijuana program.

“I think there’s a lot better ways that you can pursue natural remedies that don’t have the negative side effects or the negative societal consequences that come along with medical cannabis use,” Director of Policy Nick Spencer said.

Garcia said she’s been sick her whole life.

“I had to break a law to live,” Garcia said. “I was finally told by one surgeon that I had 6 months. Here I am almost three years later because of cannabis oil.”

The meeting was organized by the director of the Kentucky Cannabis Freedom Coalition, Patrick Dunegan.

“In the city of Louisville, you can carry up to a half an ounce and not get in trouble in the city of Louisville. But you step outside the city of Louisville and it’s a cash cow for the state of Kentucky. And it doesn’t make sense,” Dunegan said.

All sides noted that these cannabis bills aren’t a priority this legislative session, and it’s unlikely these bills will make it to the governor’s desk.

“I told them that I don’t believe that bills to legalize marijuana are going to pass this year,” said Yates, Senate Minority Whip. “I don’t believe that we have any real legs, but I do believe that there is continued movement to have that discussion.”

“We don’t anticipate that these bills will get a lot of traction and we’re thankful for that,” Spencer said. “Obviously we think that there’s a need to even push  back against the medical use of cannabis, but no bills have been introduced to those ends, this session.”

Time is running out to move these bills forward for this legislative session, but still advocates say they want more reform in the state.

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