Kansas Bill to Legalize Recreational Marijuana Filed by 19 Lawmakers
- A group of 19 Democratic lawmakers in Kansas introduced House Bill 2679 to legalize marijuana for adults 21 and older, allowing purchase, possession, and cultivation while establishing a regulated commercial industry.
- The bill proposes the Adult Use Cannabis Regulation Act, directing the state's Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control to manage licensing, enforcement, seed-to-sale tracking, product testing, and compliance with strict security and inventory controls.
- HB 2679 includes automatic expungement of marijuana-related charges, potentially clearing thousands of records across Kansas.
- The legislation sets detailed rules on business locations, prohibiting operations near schools and treatment centers, restricting on-site cannabis consumption to licensed venues, and banning alcohol service at cannabis hospitality businesses.
A group of 19 Democratic lawmakers in Kansas introduced House Bill 2679, a proposal that would allow those 21 and older to legally purchase, possess, and cultivate marijuana while establishing a fully regulated commercial industry. The bill, filed today and spanning more than 60 pages, would create the Adult Use Cannabis Regulation Act and direct the state’s Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control to oversee licensing, enforcement, seed-to-sale tracking, product testing, and statewide compliance. Retailers, cultivators, manufacturers, delivery companies, hospitality lounges, and consumption-plus-sales establishments would all be permitted under a tiered licensing system with strict security and inventory rules. Individuals seeking to work in the industry would be required to obtain occupational licenses and pass background checks.
HB 2679 also calls for automatic expungement of marijuana-related charges, a provision that could clear thousands of records statewide.
The measure includes detailed rules on where businesses may operate, prohibiting locations within 1,000 feet of schools and certain treatment facilities, and requiring that cannabis consumption remain off-site except at licensed hospitality venues. It also bans on-premise alcohol service at cannabis hospitality businesses.
The full text of the bill can be found by clicking here.