About three in five Kansas adults support legalizing adult-use marijuana—and an even greater majority backs legalizing cannabis for medical use—according to a new poll.

The annual “Kansas Speaks Survey” from the Fort Hays State University (FHSU) Docking Institute of Public Affairs asked residents about a wide range of policy issues, including where they stands on cannabis reform.

As in past years, the poll showed strong support for ending prohibition, with 59 percent of respondents voicing support for recreational marijuana legalization and 70 percent in favor of allowing medical cannabis.

For the adult-use legalization question, Democrats and independents were the most supportive at 64 percent for both cohorts. A 49 percent plurality of Republicans said they were in favor of the reform.

There was clear bipartisan support for legalizing medical cannabis, with 78 percent of independents, 75 percent of Democrats and 59 percent of Republicans aligned in support of the policy change.

In response to a separate question, 65 percent of Kansans said they’d support adult-use legalization in order to create a new source of tax revenue for the state.

Additionally, 65 percent said they were either “highly likely” or “somewhat likely” to vote for a political candidate who backs medical marijuana legalization.

The survey involved interviews with 488 Kansas adults from September 26-October 10.

While Kansans have consistently expressed their dissatisfaction with the status quo of cannabis prohibition in multiple surveys over the years, reform has long stalled in the conservative legislature. That’s despite the governor’s repeatedly calls for medical cannabis legalization and openness to creating an adult-use market.

Gov. Laura Kelly (D) renewed her call for action in April, asserting that it’s time for lawmakers in the state to finally legalize medical marijuana.

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Notably, lawmakers earlier this year considered but ultimately rejected an amendment that would have added cannabis to a right-to-try bill that took effect without the governor’s signature. The lawmaker behind that effort, Sen. Cindy Holscher (D), said her intention was not to create a public medical marijuana system, however.

The House of Representatives passed a medical cannabis bill in 2021, for example, but it stalled out in the Senate. And after numerous hearings on the issue, the Senate Federal and State Affairs Committee voted last March to table a limited medical marijuana pilot program bill.

A later effort to revive the medical cannabis bill on the Senate floor ultimately fell short.

That measure was filed about a month after the House rejected a Democratic lawmaker’s amendment to a broader drug scheduling bill that would have removed marijuana entirely from the state’s controlled substances law, effectively legalizing it.

After the Senate committee shelved the limited medical marijuana bill, Kelly issued a statement urging the public to contact their representatives to demand that they take the legislation back up for action, but that did not happen before the end of the legislative session.

Senate President Ty Masterson (R) said in 2023 that was open to a discussion about a limited medical marijuana program. But in January, he appeared less welcoming to the idea, calling medical legalization a “nonstarter,” suggesting the policy change would lead to a surge in “gang activity” and put kids at risk.

He also suggested voters didn’t understand medical marijuana. “I think what people see when they think of medical, they’re thinking of, you know, palliative care and things like that,” he said.

Masterson, who helped kill the House-passed medical marijuana bill in 2021, has also downplayed popular support for broader adult-use cannabis legalization and suggested voters don’t fully understand the policy change.

Last year, meanwhile, a state legislative panel voted against a recommendation that lawmakers legalize medical cannabis in 2025.

The legislature’s Special Committee on Medical Marijuana, charged with consideration of possible pathways for medical cannabis reform, said legalizing medical marijuana was premature and that lawmakers should first wait to see how federal rescheduling and other reform efforts unfold.

Photo courtesy of Philip Steffan.

The perfect cup of cannabis tea, a warm, relaxing autumn drink to reduce anxiety, better than alcohol for women.

As the leaves turn amber and the air gains a crisp autumn bite, many of us reach for a steaming mug of something warm. Traditionally, it might be wine, cider, or a fancy cocktail—but this fall, there’s a new contender stealing the spotlight. Let us introduce you the perfect cup of cannabis tea. Beyond its comforting warmth, cannabis tea offers a gentle way to relax, ease anxiety, and skip the post-drink hangover.

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For those new to cannabis tea, there are two popular ways to brew it depending on your taste preference.

The Classic “Weedy” Brew

If you enjoy the signature earthy cannabis flavor, this is your go-to. Start by gently simmering 1 gram of decarboxylated cannabis in a cup of water with a teaspoon of coconut oil or butter (to help absorb cannabinoids). Let it steep for 15–20 minutes, strain, and sip slowly. The result is a robust, herb-forward tea with a calming buzz perfect for winding down after a hectic day.

The Light & Floral Option

Not a fan of the “weed” taste? You can soften it with complementary flavors like lemon, rose, or chamomile. Brew your cannabis with dried chamomile flowers, a slice of lemon, or a few rose petals. Add honey or your favorite natural sweetener. This version masks the cannabis flavor while keeping its calming effects, making it a chic, Instagram-worthy wellness drink.

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Beyond taste, cannabis tea is versatile: you can enjoy it morning or night, hot or iced, solo or with friends. And unlike cocktails, it won’t leave you dehydrated or foggy—making it ideal for women balancing careers, social lives, and self-care routines.

As the season shifts, swapping a glass of wine for a cup of cannabis tea could become your new autumn ritual. It’s cozy, calming, and comforting—a simple way to sip your stress away while embracing the cooler months.

Numerous studies have linked state-level marijuana legalization to reduced alcohol use, but new federally funded research conducted by state officials in Oregon is shedding light on how access to cannabis retailers specifically is an important factor underlying the trend.

Researchers at Oregon State University and the Oregon Public Health Division sought to further investigate the association, analyzing data on rates of marijuana use and heavy alcohol consumption in areas of the state with varying levels of retail access from January 2014 to December 2022.

The research paper, published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine this month, found that “odds of heavy alcohol use were lower with greater cannabis retail access, primarily among 21-24 and 65+ year olds”—”consistent with a substitution hypothesis” where people choose marijuana instead of drinking.

That’s consistent with a significant body of studies and surveys indicating that marijuana is increasingly being used as a substitute for alcohol, particularly in states where the plant is legally available.

The study, which was partially funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), also showed that adults who lived in areas with readily available access to marijuana dispensaries were more likely to report past-month cannabis use than in the pre-market era.

“Odds of frequent cannabis use also increased with greater retail access,” the authors wrote, adding that the association was true of each adult age demographic except those 18-20, who are age-gated from buying marijuana for adult use.

“Research on the mechanisms by which retail density and proximity effects occur for early to middle aged adults would inform state and local policies aimed at preventing cannabis misuse,” the authors said. “For older (65+ years) adults the net public health impacts of retail access-related increases in cannabis use are less clear given the associated decreases in their heavy alcohol use.”

While there’s been much research focusing on marijuana use trends among youth in states with and without regulated cannabis markets, this study “considered the implications that cannabis retail availability may have for early, middle, and older adults.”

“Early adulthood is a critical developmental period in which to study substance use and misuse, and therefore cannabis policy effects,” the researchers said.

The study, which is based on data extracted from the state’s the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), involved 61,581 people who participated in surveys on their alcohol use and a subset of 38,243 people who shared information about their cannabis consumption.

“Greater access to retail cannabis is a modifiable community-level risk factor for cannabis use and frequent use across subgroups of Oregon adults ages 21 years and older,” the study says. “Retail access can be regulated through an array of approaches and enacted at any level of government.”

With respect to the alcohol consumption trends observed in the study, the findings seem to comport with a poll released earlier this month that found a majority of Americans believe marijuana represents a “healthier option” than alcohol—and most also expect cannabis to be legal in all 50 states within the next five years.

Last month, another poll showed that a majority of Americans don’t consider marijuana dangerous, though most do think consuming cannabis increases the likelihood that people will transition to using more dangerous drugs.