LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Medical marijuana has been legal in Kentucky all year, and while patients still aren't able to buy it in the bluegrass state—they shouldn't have to wait much longer.
The state's Office of Medical Cannabis gave an update on the program Wednesday to the Health Services committee in Frankfort.
Right now, the state said three cultivators are growing medical cannabis. The first processing facility, where products will be made—Armory Kentucky—a Tier II cultivator based in Mayfield—is expected to come online by the end of the month.
Officials did not share when they expect medical marijuana to be available, but said only one out of 48 planned dispensaries has actually been approved to operate.
"The expectation is, within the next month we'll have more than one dispensary that will be ready to operate. That will be based upon the actual product that will be available for purchase," Cannon Armstrong, executive director of the state's Office of Medical Cannabis, said. "I imagine once that happens, we'll see more dispensaries come online."
Back in August, Gov. Andy Beshear greenlit The Post Dispensary in Beaver Dam, and said it was expected to open its doors sometime this fall. Armstrong said Wednesday that 46 out of the state's 48 dispensaries have found their permanent locations while two still need to be settled. He added that those should be finished before the end of this year.
All medical marijuana sold in Kentucky must be grown and processed in the state, which is the reason product isn't available yet.
More than 15,000 Kentuckians have been issued a medical marijuana card to date. Cards are given to those with qualifying conditions, including cancer, chronic pain, chronic nausea, multiple sclerosis, post-traumatic stress disorder and seizure disorder. Armstrong said chronic pain and PTSD are currently the two most common qualifying conditions.
During Wednesday's update, one lawmaker asked about a $25 fee being waived for patients approved for medical marijuana cards. Armstrong said it was the only way they could reduce costs for cardholders because medical marijuana won't be covered by insurance.
"They're still going to have to pay their practitioners to see them too, and that's not something we have the ability to waive or be involved in in regard to the actual practitioner fee from our office," he said.
Because medical marijuana cannot be smoked in its raw form, patients will use edibles, pills, gummies, drinks, or even non-consumable products such as creams, ointments and soaps. Several committee members Wednesday raised concerns about the appearance of marijuana gummies and preventing children from accessing it.
Armstrong said packaging for gummies will be child-resistant, "require a two-step process for the initial opening and will include a tamper-evident seal that is resealable." He added that the office is "doing an outreach" on it, including safely storing product in homes like other prescription medications.
Sen. Karen Berg, D-Louisville, said the gummies "need to look like medicine, because they're being treated as medicine."
The process to legalize medical marijuana in the commonwealth has been ongoing for several years. In March 2023, Beshear signed Senate Bill 47, which legalized medical cannabis for eligible patients starting Jan. 1 of this year. In April 2024, the governor signed House Bill 829, moving up the timeline by six months to begin medical cannabis licensing. Last July, the Kentucky Office of Medical Cannabis started taking applications from prospective businesses.
The Kentucky Office of Medical Cannabis, which is part of the Cabinet for Health and Family Services, was tasked with implementing and administering the state's Medical Cannabis Program.
To learn more about the rollout of medical marijuana in Kentucky and the Medical Cannabis Program, click here for the state's dashboard. It includes information and links to apply for a medical cannabis card, find a practitioner, find a dispensary once they open and more.
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