Kentucky’s medical cannabis program has hauled in approximately $27.5 million in application fees during its two-month application window, according to state officials.
The Cabinet for Health and Family Services, which oversees the program, received 4,998 applications between July 1 and Aug. 31, 2024, the agency said in an email to local station WBKO-TV. The state plans to use the funds to hire staff and develop IT systems necessary to implement the program, which launched about a month ago.
“It should be more than enough to initially set up any capital outlays,” Kevin Caldwell, Southeast legislative manager for the Marijuana Policy Project, told WBKO-TV.
Caldwell said to the station that a program like Kentucky’s “could very easily be regulated for between three and five million dollars.”
The startup costs will include hiring employees to inspect licensed facilities, review packaging and labeling submissions, and process cardholder applications, according to the report.
The licensing process used a lottery system to award business permits, which proved controversial as several local businesses were not selected. Additionally, licenses have already hit the secondary market.
The exact number of employees to be hired and specific IT systems needed remain undetermined at this time, according to state officials.
[[{“value”:”State officials plan to use funds for staffing and IT infrastructure as the program takes shape.
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