Kansas marijuana supporter frustrated with legislature

TOPEKA, Kan. — Kansas lawmakers return to the state capitol Monday.

A invoice they may convey up is the legalization of marijuana for medical functions. A supporter of the initiative mentioned she’s made nice progress over the previous couple of years.

“However I’m somewhat pissed off. we preserve getting the, ‘Effectively we ran out of time excuse,” KC Hemp Co. Co-founder Heather Hobbs Steppe mentioned Friday. “It’s probably approaching Monday this yr. It’s been years earlier than, so it’s irritating. I’m somewhat pissed off.”

Steppe desires medical marijuana handed this yr.

“It completely is a bipartisan subject,” she continued. “You’ve acquired 70 p.c of Kansas who help this. There are Republicans who help this, Democrats, Independents. It’s not a partisan subject. It’s fully bi-partisan.”

Steppe would additionally wish to see leisure marijuana handed however is aware of the dialog within the state is simply round medical marijuana proper now. She known as prohibition the true hazard to hashish, not whether or not it’s leisure or medicinal.

“Now you’ve acquired people who find themselves making it in shadier methods or procuring it in additional harmful methods. I imply, we noticed it in Olathe what occurred with a teen taking pictures.”

FOX4 spoke to Johnson County District Lawyer Steve Howe Thursday after Saturday morning’s incident at Black Bob Park in Olathe the place six youngsters are accused of murdering a 19 year-old after they met as much as purchase weed from him.

“Lots of people say in the event you simply legalized marijuana that may clear up the issue. That underlies the information.”

Howe says violence associated to marijuana has elevated in Colorado the place medical and leisure marijuana are each authorized.

“Missouri has made strides in that space so far as legalization. Has it slowed down the violence in Missouri? No it hasn’t.”

A bunch in Missouri is making an attempt to get leisure marijuana handed within the state since medicinal already is. A spokesman for Kansas Republican Senate President Ty Masterson says it’s “extremely unlikely” medical marijuana turns into authorized within the Sunflower State this yr.