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Kan. panel considers new marijuana measure

Posted at 12:59 PM, Jan 20, 2016
and last updated 2016-01-20 13:59:32-05

Kansas senators are considering a measure that would allow limited possession of marijuana.

The bill includes provisions that reduce penalties for first- and second-time offenders. It also allows some medical cannabis treatment for those suffering from seizures and encourages industrial hemp research. The House passed the bill last year.

In a Kansas Senate committee hearing Wednesday, parents of children with developmental disabilities discussed the advantages of using medical marijuana for seizures.

Scott Schulz, executive director of the Kansas Sentencing Commission, also supported reducing criminal penalties for the possession of marijuana.  The bill would reduce the severity of a first-time offense, while a second conviction would be considered a misdemeanor instead of a low-level felony.