Episode 26 Matthew Bratcher, KY NORML Executive Director
This week over at the Bluegrass Cannabis Podcast, we're talking to KY NORML Executive Director Matthew Bratcher about legalization in Kentucky, good outlets for a CBD dispensary in Kentucky, and bad faith actors already appearing in Kentucky!
[00:00:00.970] - Elijah
Welcome to the bluegrass podcast. Today we're talking with Matt Bratcher, executive director of the
Kentucky chapter of normal. We're going to be talking about the chances for new cannabis legislation
this session, the new executive order from the governor's office, and the dangers that Kentucky ins
are already facing from unscrupulous actors in the cannabis space. All that and a very special
musical feature by the Low water bridge band. Thanks for stopping by today and let's get right to it.
[00:00:32.410] - Elijah
And did you want to start out talking about how you got into cannabis a little bit and how you started
working with Kentucky normal?
[00:00:40.190] - Matthew Bratcher
Sure. I've got a long history of history with cannabis, goes back a long time, probably younger than I
should have been, but changed the past early on, obviously it was just kind of rebelliousness and
things like that. But as I got older, I've realized that it was really helping me out through anxiety, but
the pain that I got from my injuries in football at high school, collegiate level, and so I started to really
appreciate it a whole lot more and really got into the activism side of it. I've been really wanting to for
a long time. I tried to get a state chapter started or university chapter started while I was at western,
but I had trouble getting any faculty advisors to join in. Surprisingly, they always got to put on the back
burner. It was something I always wanted to do, and it's a continuing education, and it never really left
my mind when I went off to school at the state. And when I came back after a few years and I started
working for a company in Olingreen here called at the time, it was ironic. It eventually changed his
name to enlightenment, and it was a company in the cannabis space.
[00:02:13.610] - Matthew Bratcher
What they did was they set up signs all over the country. If there was a dispensary, they was likely
inside there either running their digital menus or having like an internal advertising set up through
digital screening. So with the way advertising is in cannabis, which is extremely strict, so there was
some pretty heavy rules to deal with, it was really my first introduction into the cannabis industry. It
was working on that side of things, getting different things going, and making sure that any of the
advertisements that we ran in store were always compliant with state laws. They needed to be vetted
through their local cannabis council or whatever. We had to go follow that. So there was a lot of
working with that in there. And it was just one day we all looked up at each other and here we are in all
these legal states, doing business in all these legal states. Here we are in Kentucky, and we probably
have the best state for it. And we need to bring it back. We need to bring it here. We're seeing what it's
like in these other states. And we're like, we got to do more to bring it back here.
[00:03:32.230] - Matthew Bratcher
And so we reached out to the Normal chapter that was sort of in place and they were sort of defunct
and they were like, look, you all want it. And that's how it started. They want it out. Really? They tried
to sell it to us and the national was like, no, they can't sell you the chapter not normal, no. So I was
like, what good? They're like, well, we're going to pull their thing. And they're like, well, could we? And
they're like, absolutely. So that was back in 2017, around September 2017 or so. And we've been in it
ever since, going to Frankfurt, meeting legislators, working with these other groups, kind of getting
used to the idea of just kind of getting our footing first few years, and now here we are a few years
later. I think we've got a pretty good idea and landscape things and we're really pushing hard and I
think we got a good set up, good machine, and we got some great backing and resources through
national. So it's been a trip to get here, but it's been awesome.
[00:04:49.980] - Elijah
And you all have really taken off, I think, at least for my radar this year with a lot of your projects and a
lot of your activism and advocacy in Frankfurt especially. Do you want to talk about that some, this
legislative session?
[00:05:03.110] - Matthew Bratcher
Oh, yeah, honestly, all the kudos to that goes to Lauren, our deputy director. My wife, she has really
busted her tail to ensure a lot of stuff, reaching out, working with these other groups, making sure
projects come to fruition. She's been taking the lead on a lot of stuff this year and she.
[00:05:24.550] - Elijah
Has knocked it out of the park 100%. And I've noticed that your social media is much more active,
your website is much more active. You all have really stepped up your game in a lot of different ways
and are running with the ball in a big way this year. That set up you had in the...
[00:05:40.930] - Matthew Bratcher
Tunnel, that was a very nice working with Kentucky moms for medical marijuana with that tunnel
project was awesome. They had tons of great pictures of patients throughout the state, and I think it
was a great display. 350 pictures of patients across the state. I think just about every county, every
district was covered and there was even some that had passed away. Gatewood galbrook up there, a
couple of some of the activists that have been that aren't with us anymore.
[00:06:17.830] - Elijah
They had those great gatewood was right bumper stickers out at the table.
[00:06:22.890] - Matthew Bratcher
Yeah, I think it was a good statement. And our side of it was really putting the facts up, making sure
that as the legislators walk through that tunnel over to the capital, that they're not just confronted with
the compassion side of it. These are the faces that need it, but also, here are some facts. Here are
some studies that back up this choice. 37 plus states have already made this decision. They're not
reinventing. They haven't reinvented the wheel. There's nothing novel about what we're doing or trying
to do. So putting these facts in front of them, I think that's so important. Especially for years it's been
compassion, compassion and it's really changed a lot of people's minds over the years. But I think up
to a certain point it doesn't right. And there needs to be more people. Some people are more analytic,
some people are more emotional as far as how they have their decision making, that's okay.
Everybody's different and not one right way or wrong way to go through a process of making a
decision right. So all we can do is give the best facts for them. We got to get the best, greatest
studies that we can find that not just support us, because that's obvious, but just all the newest
research that we can get out.
[00:07:54.870] - Matthew Bratcher
That's what we can do. We've got access to so many new things. As they come out through national,
they like to make sure that, hey, new studies are coming out. One of our directors, Paul Armantono,
he's forefront in making sure that we got access to this stuff. He works at University of Oaksterdam
and he's just a fantastic guy. He makes sure that we've got these nice books that are it's called
clinical applications cannabis. And he keeps it updated about every couple of years or so with the
latest study. So it's a fantastic resource. And I think this year we're going to get a copy out to all of the
senators. Show us how cannabis can affect the different aspects of someone's help, how it helps.
We're also going to hit them up with a bunch of facts and figures from all across the cannabis.
Whether it's got to do with decriminalization, so very important, especially with working a medical
program, I think it's so important to have a tandem decriminalization program in place as well and
show them the facts and figures about that, where the disparity and arrests are. Show them how team
use drops.
[00:09:12.470] - Matthew Bratcher
When it becomes regulated, it's harder to get your hands on it. So there's a lot of good things like Duis
go down because people are drinking less honestly. And that's all good thing. And it's kind of hard to
explain to these people that it's great for our health, overall general health of our people, when for
years they have been told how bad it is. We don't have an endocannabinoid system inside of our body
for no reason, right? So it's just now getting around to where doctors are being taught this. People are
starting to be more educated that it is very important. It's important for our overall health. And so to
get them to change their mind on this, it's just by putting these things, facts and figures back in front
of them and just letting them know this. Not that you've been lied to, but they were mistaken. Not that
you're wrong, but you just got the wrong information. You haven't made the wrong decision based on
what you thought you knew, right? It's basically what I would try to tell you. You haven't made the
wrong decision what you thought you knew. That's a very valid decision come to, but here are some
new facts.
[00:10:30.720] - Matthew Bratcher
So let's look at these facts. Let's add that into what you think you know. This is coming into a new
kind of stance on cannabis policy reform.