Kansas Legislature tackles medical marijuana

WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) - The Kansas Legislature is meeting Tuesday for a presentation on the medical marijuana bill passed last year in the House of Representatives and being taken up by the Senate this year.

Senate Bill 158 would allow registered patients to use medical cannabis. The House approved the House substitute for SB 158 79-42 in a vote last May, and it now awaits consideration in the Senate.

To legally use medical marijuana, patients must apply for and receive a medical cannabis card and have a qualifying condition with a doctor’s certification. The qualifying conditions include HIV/AIDS, Alzheimer’s, ALS, Chron’s disease, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease and ulcerative colitis, along with several other debilitating or terminal conditions.

Patients could carry up to a 30-day supply of medical marijuana, and caregivers could possess a 30-day supply on behalf of a patient.