House Status:
Senate Status:
Senate Status:
Minutes for HB2566 - Committee on Corrections and Juvenile Justice
Short Title
Making the criminal penalty for possession of THC equal to the criminal penalty of possession of marijuana.
Minutes Content for Tue, Feb 6, 2018
Natalie Scott gave an overview of HB2566. The Committee had questions and comments.
Executive Director Scott Schultz testified on behalf of the Kansas Sentencing Commission in support of HB2566 stating reducing the penalty for possession of "tetrahydrocannabinols" (THC) would make it consistent with the current penalties for possession of marijuana, which requires a class B misdemeanor upon first conviction, a class A misdemeanor if the offender has a prior conviction and drug severity level 5 nonperson felony if the offender has two or more prior convictions. (Attachment 8)
The Committee had questions and comments.
Nick Reinecker testified as a private citizen in opposition of HB2566 expressing the history of KS.A. 21-5706 in regards to cannabis and how it relates to public safety, the controlled substances act, health and nutrition, law enforcement, asset seizure and forfeiture programs, agriculture, market manipulation, pharmaceutical profit margin, purity and plant definitions, judicial activism is a convoluted mess of deception and programming that we must stop. (Attachment 9)
Vignesh Ganapathy testified on behalf of the Kansas American Civil Liberties Union in opposition of HB2566 but then stated his testimony was in error not understanding the purpose of the bill. (Attachment 10)
The Committee had questions and comments.
Written testimony was submitted in opposition of HB2566 by Deborah Plummer (Attachment 11) and Lisa Sublett (Attachment 12).
Chairperson Jennings called for final questions from the Committee and then closed the hearing.
Chairperson Jennings adjourned the meeting.
