BEAVER DAM, Ky. (WDRB) -- Nearly a year after medical marijuana became legal in Kentucky, the state's first and only dispensary has temporarily closed after selling out of product just days after opening.
The Post, a medical marijuana dispensary in Beaver Dam, opened Dec. 13 and drew heavy demand from patients across the state. Owner Trip Hoffman said customers traveled from as far as four hours away, with a line of about 400 people forming as early as 5 a.m. on opening day.
During its first week of operation, the dispensary sold roughly 1,000 eighth-ounce packages of medical marijuana flower before running out of inventory. Hoffman said the store expects to reopen in mid-January once more product becomes available from licensed cultivators.
Kentucky legalized medical marijuana on Jan. 1, 2025, but the rollout has been slow. Under state law, all medical marijuana sold in Kentucky must be grown and processed in the state. While the law has been in place for nearly a year, cultivation did not begin until about five months ago, delaying supply to dispensaries.
"It was a long wait even for us," Hoffman said. "We thought we were going to open earlier in the year, but cultivators were delayed for different reasons."
The Post sold a single hybrid strain of flower during its opening week. Because smoking medical marijuana is not allowed under Kentucky law, many customers also purchased vaporizers to legally consume the product. An eighth of an ounce sold for about $50, a price Hoffman said could rise in the short term due to limited supply.
However, Hoffman said prices are expected to fall as more dispensaries open and production increases. He estimates an eighth could eventually cost less than $25.
According to state figures, nearly 15,000 Kentuckians currently hold medical marijuana cards. For now, those patients will have to wait for wider availability.
Hoffman believes his dispensary was able to open first partly because he already has experience navigating the medical marijuana industry in other states, where regulations are similarly strict.
Kentucky regulators have approved additional dispensaries, but none are currently open. State officials have not provided a firm timeline for when more locations will begin operating.
Until then, The Post remains the only dispensary to have opened in Kentucky — and for now, its shelves remain empty.
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