FORT WRIGHT, Ky. (WKRC) — Dr. James Weeks began authorizing patients for a medical marijuana card in Ohio six years ago, and he just started in Northern Kentucky in late 2024 in advance of that state opening medical cannabis sales sometime later this year.
But he said that making the move to work with patients and medical cannabis came with a price.
“I left the hospital, and people said I left medicine,” Weeks said. “My colleagues thought it was shocking, and they discouraged it, and even my mentors. And that wasn’t just with my colleagues in the hospital. I was with my family saying, ‘Oh, James, he left medicine.'”
Weeks is one of only nine medical providers in Northern Kentucky’s three largest counties authorized to qualify patients for a Kentucky medical marijuana card.
Former Kentucky lawmaker Rachel Roberts of Newport, who leads the Kentucky Cannabis Industry Alliance, said the stigma and federal illegality of marijuana deter many doctors.
“There’s enough to meet the demand so far, and more may come online,” said Roberts.
Weeks’ patients, Lauren Ennis and Robin, who declined to give her last name, have used marijuana to manage chronic ailments. Ennis said that she was in a wheelchair for years following two back surgeries and a subsequent infection.
She said that medical marijuana “absolutely” restored her quality of life, saying she doesn’t use the drug to get high.
“I think the buzz for me with some of the products lasts less than maybe 20 minutes, and then after that it’s just relief. It’s just pain relief,” Ennis said.
Both patients currently source their cannabis from Michigan, citing lower costs.
“Yeah, I think we’re going to see increased demand because there’s going to be stores in this area, and once they open and people want, they want to get in there, and there’s only going to be one way to get in there, [and it] is with the medical cannabis card,” said Weeks.
The Kentucky Medical Cannabis Program has 383 providers, including MDs and APRNs, who can qualify patients for medical marijuana cards. That’s about one provider for every 16,000 Kentuckians, with a provider in 76 of the state’s 122 counties.
The state has received approximately 6,600 applications and qualified 6,000 patients, with a sales launch date yet to be announced. The number of qualified patients is expected to grow rapidly as the sales launch approaches.
“So, we’re really moving fast to get more practitioners. We already have more than some other states that have had programs for years, and we’re going to continue to see increases in those numbers,” Program Director Sam Flynn said.
The state allows medical marijuana cards for conditions such as cancer, PTSD, multiple sclerosis, chronic pain or nausea, and epilepsy. However, initial visits with a qualified doctor must be in person, despite some online firms advertising telehealth visit qualifications, which is not permitted.
Weeks is one of only nine medical providers in Northern Kentucky’s three largest counties authorized to qualify patients for a Kentucky medical marijuana card. Read More
