In an effort to help the state’s economy, Kansas Governor Laura Kelly (D) met with business leaders on June 1st. It was in order to determine the next best course of action for the state. There are many factors that seem to have led to the state’s decreasing population. New abortion laws and adoption opportunities, the lack of growth and job opportunities, entertainment options, and the lack of cannabis legalization in any form became listed as factors in various news articles the governor presented.
Medical Cannabis
This past legislative session could have been the one where medical cannabis was legalized for qualifying patients. But the regular session ended on May 26, the Senate did not finalize the bill to send to the governor. SB 158 died before it became finalized. Even though the bill originated in the Senate, it received several changes and amendments in the House. Instead of heading to Governor Kelly’s desk, SB 158 returned to the Senate for a final approval.
“The Senate is not real high on the issue at this point,” Senate President Ty Masterson (R) told a local news reporter in a pun-filled text message. “We may roll it into a joint committee and see if we can weed out the issues.” No ‘joint committee’ was formed and SB 158 died at the end of the day on May 26th.
Governor’s Response
While Governor Kelly hasn’t spoken directly about the medical cannabis failure, she has spoken about helping Kansas’ economy grow.
“Since the start of the pandemic, I have asked for data and input from experts and stakeholders before making significant policy decisions,” the governor stated during a meeting with business leaders. “Today’s discussion is the first of several I will hold to determine the best course of action – for businesses and for families – to reduce our state’s workforce shortages. I remain committed to supporting our businesses and workers to rebuild a healthier, stronger economy following COVID-19.”
Using several articles published in the last few years, Governor Kelly brought several concerns to the table. One regarded cannabis legalization. According to the Kansas City Star:
“Margo Hellman, 24, left for a bigger city. She moved to Los Angeles after graduation where she’s now working in the cannabis industry — an opportunity she wouldn’t have in Kansas.
“Hellman originally moved to Los Angeles to work for a Jewish campus ministry, Hillel, at the University of Southern California, before becoming a dispatcher for a cannabis delivery service.
“‘It’s just kind of not talked about [in Kansas]. That would definitely be something that could interest me in coming back,’ she said. ‘The cannabis space is so new and legalization opens a bunch of doors.’”
Future
The future of cannabis legalization may be a factor for the decreased population in Kansas. Should it become legal, maybe more people would return to the state. Until then, it seems that young people are leaving the state for other opportunities and reasons, cannabis included.
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