Kentucky is gearing up for its medical marijuana program, with the application process for businesses to sell, process, or cultivate medical cannabis starting on Monday. This initiative, set to launch on January 1, 2025, follows a bipartisan law passed by the Republican-led Legislature in 2023 and signed by Governor Andy Beshear. The Kentucky Board of Medical Licensure and the Board of Nursing will oversee the certification of healthcare providers who will recommend medical marijuana to eligible patients.

To support applicants, the state has provided comprehensive guides and conducted webinars. Businesses have until the end of August to submit their applications, aiming for medical cannabis products to be available by January. Initially, 48 dispensary licenses will be issued across 11 regions, with Louisville and Lexington receiving two licenses each. A lottery system will distribute these licenses to ensure fairness and transparency, with the first lottery scheduled for October.

In addition to dispensary licenses, the state will issue a limited number of cultivation and processing licenses to prevent market saturation. The program will expand based on demand and potentially include more qualifying medical conditions. Governor Beshear emphasized the importance of scalable growth to avoid negatively impacting businesses and patient access.