# Urban County Council - Special Meeting - February 27, 2018 > Auto-transcribed civic record · February 27, 2018 - **Permalink**: https://meetings.lexingtonky.news/meeting/4465 - **Source video**: https://lfucg.granicus.com/player/clip/4465?view_id=14&redirect=true - **Date**: 2018-02-27 - **Last revised**: July 15, 2026 - **Length**: 1,565 words > ⚠️ **Auto-generated content.** Audio from the official Granicus video was auto-transcribed with OpenAI's open-source Whisper large-v3-turbo model, run locally by The Lexington Times. Structured facts were extracted with GPT-4o; the narrative summary was written by Anthropic Claude. Verbatim wording may contain errors. See [methodology](https://meetings.lexingtonky.news/about/methodology) or [report a correction](mailto:editor@lexingtonky.news). --- ## Meeting Overview The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council met on February 27, 2018, at 5:01 p.m. in the Council Chambers located at 200 E. Main Street, Lexington, Kentucky 40507. Vice Mayor Kay presided over the meeting. The council considered one agenda item during the session and took four votes. The meeting included two public comments from members of the public. The council approved a resolution encouraging the Kentucky General Assembly to pass House Bill 166, which would legalize medical cannabis in Kentucky. ## Attendance **Present:** Bledsoe, Fred Brown, James Brown, Evans, Farmer, Gibbs, Henson, Kay, Lamb, Moloney, Plomin, Smith, Stinnett, and Worley **Absent:** Mossotti **Late:** None ## Votes and Decisions **Resolution on Medical Cannabis** [timestamp: 00:07:10] Vice Mayor Kay moved, seconded by Henson, to pass a resolution encouraging the Kentucky General Assembly to consider legalizing medical cannabis in Kentucky and provide for the care, comfort, and relief of any Kentuckian who may benefit. The motion passed unanimously with 14 ayes and 0 nays. **Motion to Suspend Rules and Give Second Reading** [timestamp: 00:10:29] Farmer moved, seconded by Plomin, to suspend rules and give second reading to the resolution on medical cannabis. The motion passed unanimously with 14 ayes and 0 nays. **Final Approval of Medical Cannabis Resolution** [timestamp: 00:13:45] Stinnett moved, seconded by Farmer, to approve the resolution encouraging the Kentucky General Assembly to consider legalizing medical cannabis. This motion passed by roll call vote with 14 ayes and 0 nays. The following members voted in favor: Bledsoe, Fred Brown, James Brown, Evans, Farmer, Gibbs, Henson, Kay, Lamb, Moloney, Plomin, Smith, Stinnett, and Worley. **Motion to Adjourn** [timestamp: 00:14:47] Stinnett moved, seconded by Bledsoe, to adjourn the meeting. The motion passed unanimously with 14 ayes and 0 nays. ## Public Comment Two speakers addressed the council regarding a resolution on medical cannabis. **Councilmember Bledsoe** [timestamp: 00:11:36] expressed concern about the council's authority to vote on state-level issues. She noted that constituents did not elect her to address matters like medical marijuana policy. Despite this concern about the council's role, Bledsoe indicated her support for the resolution, citing personal experience with terminal cancer and the need for state action on this issue. **Vice Mayor Kay** [timestamp: 00:12:38] addressed the language of the resolution itself. Kay explained that the resolution was intentionally worded to avoid endorsing a specific bill. She emphasized that the council's intent was to encourage the state legislature to address medical cannabis policy without overstepping local governmental authority. ## Contested Items **Procedural Dispute Over First Reading** Councilmember Lamb raised a point of order regarding whether the resolution was properly included on the docket for first reading. This procedural question challenged the legitimacy of the resolution's placement on the agenda at that stage of consideration. The dispute was resolved by suspending the rules, which allowed the council to proceed with a motion to place the resolution on the agenda despite the procedural concern that had been raised. ## A Resolution encouraging the Kentucky General Assembly to pass House Bill 166 which would legalize medical cannabis in Kentucky The council considered a resolution urging the Kentucky General Assembly to legalize medical cannabis through House Bill 166. [timestamp: 00:07:10] **Key Speakers and Presentation** Vice Mayor Kay and council members Bledsoe and Kay participated in the discussion of this agenda item. **Resolution Content** The resolution encouraged the state legislature to pass House Bill 166 to legalize medical cannabis in Kentucky. The resolution's supporting arguments included: - Health benefits of medical cannabis - Evidence that states with legalized medical cannabis have experienced reduced opioid-related deaths - The necessity for state-level action on this issue **Outcome** Following procedural discussion and a roll call vote, the resolution passed unanimously. --- ## Decisions - **Motion** — passed (14-0): Resolution encouraging the Kentucky General Assembly to consider legalizing medical cannabis in Kentucky and provide for the care, comfort, and relief of any Kentuckian who may benefit - **Motion** — passed (14-0): Motion to suspend rules and give second reading to the resolution on medical cannabis - **Motion** — passed (14-0): Motion to approve the resolution encouraging the Kentucky General Assembly to consider legalizing medical cannabis - **Motion** — passed (14-0): Motion to adjourn the meeting --- ## Full transcript Music Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. The End The End Thank you. The county council, Tuesday, February 27th, 2018. First order of business is to have the clerk call the roll. Madam Clerk, if you would. Vice Mayor Kaye? Here. Mr. Stinnett? Yes, ma'am. Pardon me, my names are off. I'm going to start again. Ms. Bledsoe? Mr. Fred Brown? Here. Mr. James Brown? Here. Ms. Evans? Here. Mr. Farmer? Yes, ma'am. Mr. Gibbs? Here. Ms. Henson? Here. Vice Mayor Kay? Here. Thank you. Ms. Lamb? Here. Mr. Maloney? Yes, ma'am. Ms. Masati? Ms. Plowman? Yes. Mr. Smith? Here. Mr. Stinnett? Thank you again and Mr. Worley. Yes ma'am. Thanks sir. Thank you. The next order of business is consideration of a resolution on the issue of medical marijuana. Madam Clerk if you give first reading please. Councilmember Lamb excuse me but there is no first reading of that resolution it is not officially on that docket if you would like to make a point of order I have talked with law and they have advised me that this is the way we need to proceed but if you would like to I will make a point of order that the heading that is on our special meeting docket is not on there in its capacity at first reading point of order I so move I'm going to ask for guidance from law. Vice Mayor, I'm not sure who you may have had a discussion with, but I agree with Councilmember Lamb. This is not, and the reason why it's not under a heading of first reading is that it's not on unless the council wants to give it first reading. And so the council can decide if they want to give it first reading. Okay. Thank you. In that case, I'll accept the point of order, and I'd like to ask Council Member Stinnett to take the chair for a moment. Yes, sir. Vice Mayor Kay. Thank you. So, given where we are, I move to suspend the rules and walk on a resolution that's been circulated to all of the members of council. The resolution reads a resolution encouraging the Kentucky General Assembly to consider legalizing medical cannabis in Kentucky and provide for the care, comfort, and relief of any Kentuckian who may benefit. So move. Second. And we have a motion and a second. Vice Mayor, I think we need clarification on your motion. You don't need to suspend the rules. It's just a true walk-on because that affects how many votes we need. so I take it so thank you so this is a motion simply to walk on this motion thank you sir we have a motion and second discussion all right CNN on favor say aye aye any opposed thank you that motion is on the agenda for first reading back to you vice mayor madam clerk do you have a copy of the yes sir amended yes thank you if you'd give it that first reading for first reading reading a resolution encouraging the Kentucky General Assembly to consider legalizing medical cannabis and Kentucky and provide for the care comfort and relief of any Kentuckian who may benefit yes sir councilman Brown this is not a real long resolution is there any reason why we can't just read the whole thing so that the public and everyone knows exactly the one the draft that we're looking at. I mean, it's without objection, without objection, Madam clerk, if you would. Yeah, read the whole thing. All right. Whereas thousands of Kentuckians suffer from debilitating pain and symptoms from numerous diseases or chronic illnesses, including but not limited to cancer, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, Crohn's disease, and fibromyalgia. And whereas medical cannabis is widely known to limit the negative symptoms and debilitating pain for patients of numerous diseases or chronic diseases, and whereas more than 2 million Americans use medical cannabis to ease the symptoms and debilitating pain due to illnesses or ailments in the 29 states and District of Columbia where such treatment is legal, and whereas the Journal of American Medical Association Internal Medicine reports that opioid overdose deaths have fallen by 25% in states that have legalized medical cannabis, and now therefore be it resolved by the Council of the Lexington-Fayette urban county government section one that the above recitals are incorporated herein as it fully stated section two that the urban county council of the lexington fayette urban county government hereby encourages the kentucky general assembly to consider legalizing medical cannabis in the commonwealth of kentucky and provide for the care comfort and relief of any kentuckian who may benefit section three that the clerk of the urban county council is hereby authorized and directed to send a copy of this resolution to the president pro tempore of the kentucky state senate the Speaker of the Kentucky State House of Representatives, the following State Representatives, Russ Meyer, Stan Lee, James Kay, Philip Pratt, Sani Overly, Kelly Flood, Ruth Ann Palumbo, George Brown Jr., Susan Westrom, and Robert Benvenuti III, and the following State Senators, Alice Forgy Care, Reginald Thomas, Thomas Buford, Ralph Alvarado, and Jared Carpenter, that this resolution shall become effective on the date of passage. Thank you. I will now ask if there's a motion to suspend the rules and give second reading I have a motion in a second to spend the rules and give second reading any discussion on the motion hearing none all those in favor please say aye any opposed that motion carries madam clerk I think the abbreviated version this time would be adequate for a second reading a resolution encouraging the Kentucky General Assembly to consider legalizing medical cannabis in Kentucky and provide for the care comfort and relief of any Kentuckian who may benefit thank you there's the emotion to approve I have a motion to approve and second is the discussion on the motion sir who made the motion I'm sorry I didn't catch that mr. Stinnett thank you sir Councilmember Bledsoe. Thank you, Vice Mayor. I would be remiss if I just can take a few seconds and just comment on something I think is really important. And that is I take my seat and my vote very seriously, like I know all of you do. We worked very hard to get here, many of us. Went door to door, asked people for their vote. And not at one time did someone ask me about medical marijuana or state or federal issues. And I believe that's because people ask me about parks and public safety and how I feel about local and city issues. And I have a hard time presuming to vote on issues that presume for my district how they feel about issues that they've not elected me to address, to be honest. And I think we have to be very careful about how we use this body to do so. That being said, I've supported the motion. My father had terminal cancer and for eight years fought very hard and immense, immense pain. And for that reason, I think it's important that the state take up the issue and address it. And I think that's what we need to do. We need to be very careful about how we use this body to move forward. And I look forward to supporting the resolution. Thanks. Thank you. No one else has signed on to speak. I just want to make a comment as well. The resolution as amended has changed. takes out specific reference to the bill that's pending before the legislature, which is not an indication that we either do or do not support that. The council, as I understand it, the interest here is in speaking very clearly that right now, we do not have the opportunity as a locality to rule on anything like medical marijuana. We would need state legislation to do that. We have heard testimony from a number of people about the importance of medical marijuana in their lives. And we are interested in having the state address this issue. There's a bill pending. Whether that's the bill that comes forward or whatever it is, we would like to see the issue of medical marijuana addressed at the state level so that we can consider it at the local level. it's an important issue for the for the community and the council has worked hard to get to a place where we could get the support we have for this resolution anybody else wish to speak if not madam clerk please call a roll Ms. Bledsoe? Yes. Mr. Fred Brown? Yes. Mr. James Brown? Yes. Ms. Evans? Yes. Mr. Farmer? Yes, ma'am. Mr. Gibbs? Yes. Ms. Henson? Yes. Vice Markay? Yes. Ms. Lamb? Yes, ma'am. Mr. Maloney? Yes, ma'am. Ms. Plowman? Yes. Mr. Smith? Yes. Mr. Stinnett? Yes, ma'am. And Mr. Worley? Yes, ma'am. Thank you. That vote reflects passage of motion. Unless there's other business. Second. I have a motion to adjourn in a second. Without objection, we stand adjourned. Thank you all. Thank you. Thank you. Angel Eyes Angel Eyes You are so good to me And when I'm in your arms It feels so heavenly You know I love you My darling Angel Eyes I know you are saying