medical marijuana

Kentucky has issued its first-ever medical marijuana license. Gov. Andy Beshear announced on Thursday that KCA Labs in Nicholasville received the first license under the state’s medical cannabis program that will launch Jan. 1, 2025.

Kentucky’s new Office of Medical Cannabis received more than 700 applications from businesses in the first three days of this week, ahead of the Saturday deadline.

Voters in dozens of cities and counties across Kentucky will vote in November on whether to allow medical cannabis businesses to operate there.

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky will start taking applications Monday to sell, process or grow medical marijuana for the state program launching at the beginning of 2025. Doctors and advanced practice registered nurses also can begin applying for permission to certify patients who need the drug. Kentucky lawmakers passed legislation in 2023 to legalize medical cannabis for people suffering from a list of debilitating illnesses. Gov. Andy Beshear signed the measure into law. Since then, his administration has been working on regulations governing the program.

The new law would allow Kentucky to issue medical cannabis licenses to businesses as early as this summer, increasing the odds that cannabis will be available for patients at dispensaries beginning 2025.

A GOP lawmaker believes his bill to move up the licensing timeline for medical cannabis businesses in Kentucky will pass into law before the end of the session.

The Kentucky Senate has proposed setting conditions to unlock funding for the state’s medical cannabis program.

Kentucky lawmakers are inching closer to passing a law that would legalize medical cannabis. It’s a much-awaited step forward for an issue that has support from both Republican lawmakers and Democratic Governor Andy Beshear.

A bill that would legalize medical cannabis in Kentucky passed the Senate Thursday evening. It was the first time the measure made it to the Senate and received votes from lawmakers who were previously opposed to it.

A bill that would legalize medical cannabis passed out of committee by a wide margin today. Lawmakers who have been long skeptical of permitting the substance signaled support for it.