Kansas will continue to be one of the few states that have not yet legalized the medical use of marijuana or expanded their Medicaid programs for at least another year.
Republican state senators successfully blocked attempts to initiate debates on both issues before the scheduled adjournment of the GOP-controlled Legislature for the year on Tuesday. Unfortunately, supporters of each measure were unable to secure the necessary 24 out of 40 votes needed to bring a bill on each subject out of committee.
Supporters of both proposals claim that they enjoy widespread public support, but have faced obstacles for nearly a decade. In Kansas, voters are not able to directly place proposed laws on the statewide ballot, a process that has proven successful in other states.
According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, 12 states have not legalized medical marijuana, and 10 states have not expanded Medicaid as per the federal Affordable Care Act. These states include Kansas, Georgia, Tennessee, Texas, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. However, the majority of states have taken steps to legalize medical marijuana and expand Medicaid, in line with the promise of the Affordable Care Act to cover a significant portion of the cost.
After Friday’s votes, state Sen. John Doll, a Republican from western Kansas who supported both measures, expressed his belief that they were a step behind the current times.
Republican leaders were not surprised by the failure of both initiatives, as they held a comfortable majority in the Senate. They saw these attempts as mere political theatrics.
The vote on medical marijuana was 12-25, with three senators absent. Law enforcement officials are against the idea, as they believe that medical marijuana could lead to the eventual legalization of recreational use.
Opponents also highlighted Oklahoma officials’ frustrations with the legalization of medical marijuana by a ballot initiative in 2018 during committee testimony earlier this year. Republican Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond expressed concern over the rapid expansion of the marijuana industry, facilitated by a lenient law, which has attracted criminals and foreign nationals engaging in illegal black-market activities.
Republican Governor Kevin Stitt expressed surprise at the unexpectedly high number of growers in Oklahoma. He mentioned that Oklahoma had more growers than California and other states, and even individuals with minor ailments could easily obtain a medical card.
In 2023, Oklahoma generated a significant amount of revenue from its excise tax on marijuana, totaling approximately $52 million. On top of that, the state also collected around $67 million from state and local sales taxes.
Cheryl Kumberg, a registered nurse from western Kansas and the president of the Kansas Cannabis Coalition, believes that Oklahoma’s challenges are a result of their lenient legislation. According to Kumberg, Kansas residents are resorting to obtaining cannabis from neighboring states in order to address their medical conditions, despite the potential legal consequences.
She expressed her disbelief, saying, “It’s absolutely absurd. I can travel for 45 minutes in one direction or even a couple of hours in the opposite direction, and you are free to make use of it as you please.”
Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly went as far as linking medical marijuana to Medicaid expansion in 2021. She made an unsuccessful pitch to use marijuana taxes as a means to cover the state’s portion of the cost of expanding Medicaid health coverage for an additional 150,000 people.
The Medicaid expansion vote on Friday resulted in a close margin of 18-17, despite the extensive public campaign led by Kelly and other advocates for expansion. Kelly had previously expressed her intention to adopt a more political strategy, indicating her plans to strongly challenge Republicans who oppose expansion during the upcoming fall campaign.
During a recent event, she expressed a change in her stance, stating that the timing of the election does not affect her decision.
In the previous year, Kelly established the Middle of the Road political action committee. By the end of December, the committee had successfully raised close to $1 million in funds for the upcoming elections, specifically for all legislative seats.
In addition, the previous year witnessed the establishment of a nonprofit advocacy organization called the Kansas Coalition for Common Sense by two ex-Kelly campaign aides. The primary objective of this group was to support the governor’s objectives. Following the vote, the coalition issued a statement indicating that voting against the proposal would mean opposing efforts to reduce healthcare expenses and assist rural hospitals.
Senate President Ty Masterson, a Republican from the Wichita area, expressed his belief that Medicaid expansion would not be a significant campaign issue prior to the vote. He dismissed the surveys and polling conducted by expansion supporters, claiming that the results were influenced by the way the questions were framed.
Masterson emphasized the common GOP argument that if you ask people whether they want able-bodied individuals to receive free health care, they would likely vote against it.
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