A move to expand the Right to Try Act in Kansas to include medical marijuana for terminally ill patients was struck down by Republican lawmakers, reinforcing the state’s long-standing opposition to cannabis-related policies.
A Narrow Proposal Meets Stiff Resistance
Democratic Sen. Cindy Holscher introduced an amendment that would have allowed medicinal cannabis as a treatment option under Senate Bill 250. The bill itself, championed by Republican Sen. Beverly Gossage, aims to give Kansans access to experimental, genetics-based treatments for rare and life-threatening conditions.
Holscher emphasized that her proposal was limited in scope, aligning with the federal Right to Try Act signed by former President Donald Trump. The amendment, she argued, was not an attempt to create a broad medical marijuana program in Kansas but a compassionate measure for those at the end of their lives.
“I think most of you realize I would not bring something of that magnitude to an important bill like SB 250,” Holscher said.
Despite her reassurances, the amendment was met with strong opposition from Republican lawmakers, who voted it down in a 31-9 decision.
Republican Opposition: Fear of a Slippery Slope
Republicans dismissed the amendment as a backdoor attempt to introduce medical marijuana into Kansas law. Sen. Mike Thompson, a Republican from Shawnee, claimed the term “medical cannabis” is nothing more than a marketing strategy, insisting that Kansas lawmakers have extensively reviewed the issue.
“We’ve examined medical cannabis for quite some time, and the term medical cannabis is nothing but a marketing ploy,” Thompson said.
Gossage, who led the charge on SB 250, made it clear she did not support the addition of medical marijuana. After the amendment failed, she admonished Holscher for introducing it.
The rejection of the amendment is consistent with the state’s historical stance. Kansas remains one of the few states with no legal medical marijuana program, despite increasing support for such measures nationwide.
The Broader Picture: Kansas Remains an Outlier
While Kansas lawmakers remain staunchly opposed to medical marijuana, the national landscape tells a different story.
- Medical marijuana is legal in 39 states and Washington, D.C.
- Recreational marijuana is legal in 24 states and the District of Columbia.
In Kansas, efforts to legalize medical cannabis have repeatedly failed. In 2023, of the four proposed bills on the matter, only one even made it to a hearing before dying in committee. In 2024, two more bills were introduced—both met the same fate.
The pattern reflects a deep-rooted resistance among Republican legislators, despite growing bipartisan support for medical cannabis in other conservative states.
What’s Next for Medical Cannabis in Kansas?
With SB 250 now awaiting approval in the House, it’s unclear whether another attempt to include medical marijuana will surface. The broader push for legalization has seen setbacks year after year, but proponents remain persistent.
For now, terminally ill Kansans seeking relief through medical cannabis will have to look elsewhere. Some may travel to neighboring states like Missouri or Colorado, where marijuana laws are far more permissive. Others will continue pushing for change, hoping Kansas lawmakers eventually catch up to national trends.
As for SB 250, its core provisions on individualized investigative treatments remain intact. But for those who had hoped for a small step forward on medical marijuana, the fight continues.
