Yo, peeps! Listen up, ’cause I got some major news for ya. So, check this out. Even though opinions on cannabis in America have been changing like crazy, Kentucky law enforcement agents ain’t lettin’ up. Nah, they still out there chargin’ folks with cannabis-related offenses left and right, just like they do for all other crimes.
According to the Kentucky Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC), more than 300,000 people in Kentucky have been hit with cannabis charges in the past two decades. Bruh, that’s like two people every single hour, every single day from June 2002 to July 2022! The Kentucky Center for Economic Policy put it best when they said, “Damn, that’s a lot!” I mean, only one in ten of the 3.1 million people charged with a crime in Kentucky during that time got hit with cannabis charges, but still, those numbers are off the charts.
The Kentucky Center for Economic Policy also pointed out that this ain’t just happenin’ in one area. Nah, this is goin’ down all across the state. They said, “Every corner of the commonwealth has seen people charged with cannabis crimes with some counties havin’ dozens charged and others havin’ tens of thousands.” Shit’s messed up, man.
And get this, the conviction rates vary like crazy too. In some rural areas, they almost twice as likely to convict someone for a cannabis charge compared to the big city. It’s like they stuck in the past while the rest of the country movin’ forward. Kentucky still out here lockin’ people up, slappin’ ’em with heavy fines, and givin’ ’em criminal records for cannabis crimes. This shit messes up people’s lives, man. It affects their money situation, their jobs, their health, their homes, and their ability to be part of the community. And guess who gets hit the hardest? Poor folks and Black and Brown people. It’s straight-up unfair, my dudes.
Now, the most common charge is possession, which is a Class B misdemeanor. That shit can get you up to 45 days in jail and a fine of $250. Like seriously, Kentucky? Is that really necessary?
But it ain’t just about possession, my friends. This problem affects everybody. The report shows that every single county in Kentucky has people gettin’ charged with cannabis offenses. I mean, from 68 people in Robertson County to a whopping 72,717 in Jefferson County. That’s crazy, right? They broke it down by lookin’ at the number of charges per 1,000 residents in each county, and that shit ranged from 1.5 people per 1,000 in Robertson County to 8.4 people per 1,000 in Carroll County. And then there’s Lyon County, where they had a whopping 16.4 people per 1,000 gettin’ charged. Damn!
But check it, even if you just get charged with possession, your life still gonna be impacted. Kaylee Raymer from the Kentucky Center for Economic Policy said it best when she said, “Whether it’s through fines and fees, it could affect their ability to get public housing or their ability to get a job if that’s on their record.” So yeah, there are still consequences even if it’s just possession.
Thankfully, the Kentucky Legislature has made some changes over the years. In 2011, they reduced the penalty for possession. And just recently, in 2023, they took a big step by legalizin’ medical cannabis starting in 2025. But hold up, before you start celebratin’, it’s only gonna be available for a few specific conditions like chronic pain, epilepsy, and PTSD. It ain’t enough, man. We need more progress.
But get this, Kentucky is still one of them “cannabis desert” states. There’s only 18 of ’em left, holdin’ on to prohibition even though the people want change. It’s like they stuck in the past while the rest of us movin’ forward.
So, over the past two decades, around 303,264 people in Kentucky got charged with cannabis offenses. And the prison population has been goin’ up too. Since 1983, it’s increased by a whopping 168%. That ain’t cool, man.
Now, in 2019, there were 20,087 people charged with cannabis offenses. And you know what? More than half of ’em got convicted. But then the pandemic hit and messed everything up. The courts closed down and there weren’t as many arrests or convictions. It’s crazy how things can change so quickly.
But here’s somethin’ interesting. Even though people see cannabis as harmless these days, the conviction rates for cannabis offenses stayed pretty steady along with all other offenses. Between 2003 and 2021, the conviction rate for cannabis charges was 59%, while the overall conviction rate was 63%.
And hey, there are some new laws in place too. They’re crackin’ down on hemp-derived cannabinoids like delta-8 THC. The governor signed a bill sayin’ that only adults 21 and over can buy products with delta-8 THC. They tryna regulate that shit and make sure it don’t mess people up too bad.
So yeah, that’s what’s goin’ down in Kentucky. They still out here chargin’ folks with cannabis offenses left and right. It’s messed up, man. But hey, at least they makin’ some progress with medical cannabis and crackin’ down on certain products. We just gotta keep fightin’ for change, my friends. It’s the only way we gonna make a difference. Peace out!
