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WEBVTT DISCUSSED. MARK TODAY’S HEARING SHOWED THAT : OPPONENTS OF MEDICAL MARIJUANA ARE JUST AS ENERGIZED AS SUPPORTERS, AND IT’S GOING TO BE A CONTENTIOUS ISSUE IN 2019. >> WE NEED MORE RESEARCH ON THE HARMFUL EFFECTS. BENEFITS ARE MODEST AT BEST, HARMS ARE UNKNOWN. MARK REPRESENTATIVE DANNY : BENTLEY’S RESOLUTION CALLS FOR MORE RESEARCH. HE’S PUSHING IT AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO A BILL TO LEGALIZE MEDICAL MARIJUANA, WHICH LOUISVILLE REPUBLICAN JASON NEMES SAYS HE WILL FILE. THE ALTERNATIVE BILL IS APPEALING TO SENATE HEALTH COMMITTEE CHAIR RALPH ALVARADO, WHO SAYS HE OPPOSES MEDICAL MARIJUANA. >> WE HAVE RANDOM DOCTORS OUT THERE WHO SAY, IT WORKS FOR MY PATIENT, SO IT’S GOING TO WORK FOR EVERYBODY. NOT NECESSARILY. THERE’S BEEN A LOT OF MISTAKES MADE IN THE PAST, AND I THINK WE HAVE TO TREAD VERY CAREFULLY ON THIS. MARK ADDICTION SPECIALIST DIANNE : MCFARLING WARNED OF MARIJUANA’S HARMFUL EFFECTS. >> IT’S HARD FOR US TO CHANGE FROM ONE THOUGHT TO THE NEXT THOUGHT. IT’S HARD FOR US, IF WE’RE DRIVING A CAR, WE MAY FOCUS ON STAYING BETWEEN THE LINES, BUT WE MAY NOT SEE THE CHILD WHO RUNS IN FRONT OF US AND BE ABLE TO SHIFT OUR ATTENTION TO PUT THE BRAKE ON. MARK BOTH PRESENTATIONS WERE : UNANNOUNCED A MOVE THAT DID , NOT SIT WELL WITH MEDICAL MARIJUANA SUPPORTERS. >> I BELIEVE IT WAS A WAY TO KEEP ADVOCATES OUT OF FRANKFORT WHEN THEY WERE DISCUSSING THE NEGATIVE OUTLOOK OF CANNABIS, SO I THINK IT WAS DONE INTENTIONALLY. MARK: JAIME MONTALVO ACCUSED OPPONENTS OF SPREADING MISINFORMATION. >> IT’S SOMETHING THAT’S IN OUR COMMUNITY, SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO REGULATE, AND WE NEED TO FIND A WAY WHERE PATIENTS WHO HAVE CANCER HAVE ACCESS TO IT WITHOUT BEING SENT TO JAIL. , I DON’T THINK THAT’S

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A state lawmaker thinks Kentucky may be moving too fast on medical marijuana. Rep. Danny Bentley spoke Wednesday afternoon about his resolution calling for more research. State lawmakers also heard from an addiction specialist about the potential harms of medical marijuana. The hearing showed that opponents of medical marijuana are just as energized as supporters, and it's going to be a pressing issue in 2019. Bentley's resolution calls for more research."We need more research on the harmful effects. Benefits are modest at best, harms are unknown," he said. He's pushing his resolution as an alternative to a bill to legalize medical marijuana, which LouisvillePepublican Jason Nemes plans to file. The alternative bill is appealing to Senate health committee Chairman Ralph Alvarado, who said he opposes medical marijuana."We have random doctors out there who say, 'It works for my patient, so it's going to work for everybody.' Not necessarily. There's been a lot of mistakes made in the past, and I think we have to tread very carefully on this," he said. Addiction specialist Dianne McFarland also warned of marijuana's harmful effects."It's hard for us to change from one thought to the next thought. It's hard for us, if we're driving a car, we may focus on staying between the lines, but we may not see the child who runs in front of us and be able to shift our attention to put the brake on," McFarland said. Both of the presentations were unannounced, a move that did not sit well with medical marijuana supporters. Marijuana supporter Jamie Montalvo accused opponents of spreading misinformation."I believe it was a way to keep advocates out of Frankfort when they were discussing the negative outlook of cannabis, so I think it was done intentionally," Montalvo said."It's something that's in our community, something that we need to regulate, and we need to find a way where patients who have cancer have access to it without being sent to jail," Montalvo said.Nemes said he was also unaware of Wednesday's hearing but said he is confident his bill has enough support to pass Kentucky's House in 2019.