Proponents of legalizing and decriminalizing marijuana in Kentucky gathered Monday to push for action on the issue during this year's legislative session."Kentucky is one of 14 states in our nation that has neither decriminalized nor approved its adult use in any way," Rep. Nima Kulkarni said.Kulkarni introduced two bills in the Kentucky House. House Bill 225 proposes a constitutional amendment that would allow anyone 21 and older to possess, use, buy or sell up to one ounce of cannabis without criminal penalties. If passed, the question would be added to the November ballot.Rep. Attica Scott has signed on as a co-sponsor to the bill. "We have the opportunity to take the question to the voters in Kentucky and ask them, not politicians who want to be obstructionist, but the people who can benefit most from the legalization and decriminalization," Scott said.House Bill 224 would decriminalize marijuana and expunge certain previous convictions related to cannabis."You can't have one without the other, and I have been very clear that I am not going to sign onto legalization legislation if we don't include decriminalization," Scott said.A 2020 report by the ACLU found Black Kentuckians are 10 times more likely to be incarcerated than white Kentuckians, despite having similar rates of cannabis use."We know some hard truths that Black folks and other people of color are the ones most impacted by the carceral system when it comes to criminalizing marijuana," Scott said.Kungu Njuguna is a policy strategist for the ACLU of Kentucky. The organization pledged its full support for both bills. "Something that you do here in Kentucky is going to get you arrested and a criminal record but if you just hop over a few states it won't. That's ridiculous," Njuguna said.The bills also have the backing of the Law Enforcement Action Partnership, which is made up of former police, judges and other law enforcement professionals. Sheri Ray is a former corrections officer and member of LEAP, who now advocates for criminal justice and drug policy reforms."We are wasting our time enforcing a law that should have never existed in the first place," Ray said.Ray believes legalizing marijuana could lift a huge barrier in solving more violent crimes."If people are afraid that they will be arrested or fined for simple possession of something that's legal in so many states, we're taking away opportunities to help solve crimes that we need to be focusing on," Ray said.Kulkarni and other advocates also say passing the bills will dramatically improve the state's overwhelmed criminal justice system."Nationwide one of five people who are incarcerated are locked up for non-violent drug offenses. Kentucky ranks seventh in the world for its rate of incarceration," Kulkarni said.So far, no action has been taken on either bill and no Republicans have signed on in support of the bills.Rep. Jason Nemes has also filed a bill with bipartisan support to legalize medical marijuana during this year's session.