LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Medical marijuana dispensaries are one step closer to becoming a reality in Jefferson County.

The Kentucky Office of Medical Cannabis held its second medical marijuana dispensary lottery at Kentucky Lottery Headquarters near downtown Louisville.

"This is a major step forward to insuring that Kentuckians that are out there and that are suffering have access to safe and affordable treatment," Gov. Andy Beshear said.

Kentucky became the 38th state to legalize medical marijuana last year, but there are steps patients need to take before getting it.

On Monday, the Kentucky Lottery hosted the second of two drawings to determine who can operate dispensaries in the state. The lottery focused on Louisville, Lexington and surrounding counties.

The Medical Cannabis Dispensary Lottery selectees on Monday were:

Region 1 – Bluegrass (without Fayette)

  • Canntucky Ventures LLC – Frankfort, Franklin County
  • Garry Kort – Richmond, Madison County
  • Robert Hoogendyk – Richmond, Madison County
  • Thriveblue LLC – Georgetown, Scott County

Region 1 – Bluegrass (Fayette ONLY)

  • DHK KY LLC – Lexington, Fayette County
  • ZenLeaf, Inc. – Lexington, Fayette County

Region 2 – Kentuckiana (without Jefferson)

  • DNP-DH KY, LLC – Shepherdsville, Bullitt County
  • KY PRISTINE VISTAS LLC – Shepherdsville, Bullitt County
  • DJS KY LLC – Shelbyville, Shelby County
  • Pinnacle Path LLC – Shepherdsville, Bullitt County

Region 2 – Kentuckiana (Jefferson ONLY)

  • Chung Woo Kim, LLC – Louisville, Jefferson County
  • Upward Innovations – Louisville, Jefferson County

Two licenses were selected in Jefferson County, which means two dispensaries can operate in the county.

The drawing is to determine who can operate dispensaries in the state.

Four additional licenses were selected, including three in Bullitt County and one in Shelby County.

"So for any county that has duplicate awardees, the first one drawn goes to that county," Beshear said. "So we have three in Bullitt County, the second two will have to choose other counties in that region, obviously not Bullitt County, and they can't choose the same county. So what that means is Jefferson County will have two and then there will be four in four different counties surrounding Jefferson County."

The new law goes into effect on Jan. 1, but it's unlikely there will be product available to buy for several months because the law requires all the marijuana to be grown in Kentucky.

“It’s important to note that physicians and advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) do not issue medical cannabis cards,” Kentucky Office of Medical Cannabis Executive Director Sam Flynn said in a news release. “Rather, they write certifications into our electronic monitoring system so when a patient applies for a card – which allows purchase of medical cannabis – their written certification will populate and the patient can click on it to associate the certification with his or her card application.”

A reminder, since marijuana is still illegal on the federal level, patients should prepare for out-of-pocket costs insurance companies can't cover.

For more information on what to expect during the medical marijuana process, click here.

Previous Coverage:

Copyright 2024 WDRB Media. All Rights Reserved.