Beshear speeds up medical cannabis access

FRANKFORT, Ky. (June 27, 2024) – Gov. Andy Beshear announced today that Kentucky’s Medical Cannabis Program is accelerating its timeline.

Applications for medical cannabis businesses will open on July 1, six months earlier than planned.

To assist applicants, the program has released YouTube webinars and a Business Licensing Application Guide on kymedcan.ky.gov.

“This administration has been working hard to expedite access to medical cannabis for Kentuckians with serious medical conditions,” said Gov. Beshear.

Starting July 1, the Kentucky Board of Medical Licensure and Board of Nursing will accept applications from physicians and APRNs to write medical cannabis certifications.

However, patients can only apply for medical cannabis cards starting Jan. 1, 2025.

In April, House Bill 829 was signed into law, advancing the licensing timeline to July 2024.

This follows the filing of regulations in March and January, detailing the framework for medical cannabis cardholders and business operations.

In March 2023, Senate Bill 47, legalizing medical cannabis in Kentucky, was signed into law.