A Kentucky lawmaker has once again filed a bill to decriminalize marijuana. State Representative Nima Kulkarni of Louisville said House Bill 72 would decriminalize possession of less than an ounce for people over the age of 21. It would also establish a way for people previously convicted of cannabis or paraphernalia possession to have their records expunged.
“People talk about the tax revenue we can get from cannabis, how we're going to license things and the framework and how are we going to regulate it. But what often gets lost in that discussion is the disparate impact on black and brown communities from the war on drugs.”
Kulkarni, a Democrat, said she thinks the bill does have a chance in the Republican-led General Assembly.
“There's been bipartisan discussions and movement around the concept of criminal justice and justice reform efforts, which is exactly what this bill is and what these measures hope to achieve.”
Kulkarni said if HB 72 and a proposed constitutional amendment along the same lines don’t pass by themselves, portions of them may be incorporated elsewhere.
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