KENTUCKY, USA — Kentuckians with qualifying medical conditions will have medical cannabis in their hands within the next few months.
The state’s Office of Medical Cannabis (OMC) has held three lotteries to distribute the handful of available licenses to the thousands of businesses looking to start operating across the Commonwealth.
A fourth lottery to distribute the remaining dispensary licenses will be held Dec. 16.
Dozens of businesses have already been licensed, or awarded a license, to begin cultivating, processing and distributing medical marijuana after Jan. 1, 2025.
There were only 26 licenses available total for both cultivators, which are broken up by tier based on the size of the facility, and processors.
As for dispensaries, there will be four locations in each of the 11 licensing regions.
Only one dispensary can operate in a county, with the exception of Jefferson and Fayette counties. Those counties will have an additional dispensary given to them due to their size.
OMC Executive Director Sam Flynn pointed out that if the data shows there is more demand in the future, then more dispensaries could be added.
“If there’s new qualifying conditions, more patients, then we can look at that,” he said. “At the end of the day, we wanna make sure that people have access and not driving multiple hours to get their medical cannabis.”
Qualified patients can apply for a medical cannabis card on or after Jan. 1, 2025.
To be eligible, patients will need to receive a written certification from an authorized doctor or nurse practitioner. An online directory to help patients find providers launches Dec. 1.
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