Council members heard a lengthy discussion the previous month from an organization hoping to legalize medical marijuana, if not recreational marijuana, in the Commonwealth of Kentucky.
The next month, those same council members decided to heed the words of the group led by Dan Seum Jr., passing a resolution to show support.
The Fox Chase City Council unanimously approved a resolution requesting and urging the state general assembly to address the needs of citizens by legalizing the medical prescription of cannabis as a health treatment option.
City attorney Mark Edison distributed copied of a resolution proposal to council members based on the requests made at the previous meeting.
Immediately, council member Ed Berger addressed some of his personal concerns on the topic, primarily the difficulty in determining who would be allowed to grow the plant following legalization.
“How do you differentiate between a doctor and a grower,” he said. “That’s my concern on this.”
Council member Mike Higgins said the presenters “shot down a lot of myths.” He informed the council about Bullitt Fiscal Court’s decision to pass a similar resolution, only to rescind it at their next meeting based on arguments from other groups.
However, Higgins noted magistrate Joe Rayhill, and his experience with his wife using medicinal marijuana to improve her quality of life.
“I’m in favor, and I think we should tell our state representatives to start looking into this,” he said.
“It’s the medical part,” said council member Sandy Higgins. “It’s the right thing to do.”
The General Assembly finished its work in April and did not see the matter come before the membership for a vote.
The next meeting of the Fox Chase City Council takes place Tuesday, April 10, 7 p.m., in the Larry Belcher Meeting Room at KentuckyOne/Jewish Medical Center South. The public is invited to attend the meeting.
