Kansas lawmakers are considering a measure that would legalize and regulate medical marijuana.

The Kansas Senate Federal and State Affairs Committee began hearings yesterday for a bill that would create a market for regulated medical marijuana. The measure would provide licensure and regulation for the cultivation, processing, distribution, sale and use of the drug for medical purposes and establish qualifying medical conditions.

The Kansas Reflector reports acceptable products include oils, tinctures, plant material, edibles and patches. The smoking of marijuana would remain illegal.

The law would take effect on July 1, 2023, and various regulators would have until the start of 2024 to put rules in place for physicians, pharmacists, growers and others involved in the industry. The cost of implementing the law would be offset by steep licensing fees that could total $18 million or more per year.

Revenue for the state is forecast at just $2.9 million for the first full fiscal year after operations begin, because the only applicable tax would be the state sales tax. Senators could modify the bill to include an excise tax on sales, similar to alcohol and tobacco.