Kentucky to Begin Accepting Medical Cannabis Business Applications Next Week

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear (D) has announced that officials will begin accepting business applications starting Monday, July 1, for the state’s medical cannabis growers, manufacturers, and retailers, ABC News reports. Additionally, starting next week, doctors and advanced practice registered nurses will be able to apply to certify medical cannabis patients for the program.

The first applications will be awarded in October via a lottery-based system, the report said.

“The program is focused on ensuring cannabis business licensing is fair, transparent and customer-service oriented.” — Sam Flynn, executive director of the Kentucky Office of Medical Cannabis, via ABC News

Kentucky’s Republican-controlled Legislature passed the state’s medical cannabis legalization bill in 2023 and Gov. Beshear, a Democrat, promptly signed the bill into law. The governor also signed legislation earlier this year to move up the licensing process by six months so the program will be ready to launch on time starting January 1, 2025.

Per state law, registered medical cannabis patients in Kentucky will have access to cannabis edibles and concentrates but not smokable products such as cannabis flower or pre-rolls. Patients will be able to apply for their medical cards starting January 1 and the program will recognize out-of-state patient IDs.

The program’s qualifying conditions include any type or form of cancer (at any stage); chronic, severe, intractable, or debilitating pain; epilepsy or any other intractable seizure disorder; multiple sclerosis or muscle spasms/spasticity; chronic nausea; and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).