Beshear issues medical cannabis update

Gov. Andy Beshear announced that the state received nearly 5,000 medical cannabis business license applications at Thursday’s Team Kentucky Update.

In the 2023 Kentucky General Assembly, lawmakers voted to legalize medical marijuana in the state which will come into effect in 2025. Applications for medical cannabis processing, dispensary, safety compliance facility and cultivation licenses closed on August 31.

Across Kentucky, counties have been split into 11 regions and each will consist of at least four medical cannabis dispensaries. Christian County is in a seven-county region including, Todd, Trigg, Lyon, Caldwell, Hopkins and Muhlenberg Counties where 369 medical cannabis business applications were submitted to the state.

Beshear says many of the applications were submitted close to the deadline and the Office of Medical Cannabis is increasing their staff to finish reviewing all of the applications by the end of the year.

Beshear says applications that meet the state’s standards will be approved through a lottery process. Lottery dates are set to be announced soon, and Beshear says the lotteries for processor and cultivator applications will be hosted in October.

More information about medical cannabis in Kentucky is available at kymedcan.ky.gov.

Photo courtesy of Governor Andy Beshear on Facebook