Campbell County chooses not to have cannabis businesses…at least for now

Cities in Campbell County will not have cannabis business operations within its jurisdiction, at least for the time being.

Under Senate Bill 47, individual cities are tasked with crafting zoning regulations to either accommodate or prohibit cannabis-related businesses. Failure to establish these regulations by June 30 could result in the state issuing licenses regardless, with businesses being grandfathered against future restrictions.

With the state scheduled to begin issuing licenses on July 1, there's a six-month window for businesses to prepare before legalization takes effect. The approval process for these licenses will be conducted through a lottery system.

Campbell County's decision to prohibit medical cannabis businesses is aimed at providing local municipalities with additional time to develop their own regulations. This move is not a rejection of medical cannabis itself, as it has already been legalized statewide. Medical marijuana patients will be able to use cannabis no matter where they live in Kentucky, but medical marijuana businesses may not be located in their hometowns.

Campbell County Administrator Matt Elberfeld weighs in on the future of medical marijuana in his jurisdiction.

According to Campbell County Administrator Matt Elberfeld, the county chose to prohibit medical cannabis businesses to give each city more time to develop its own regulations. Individual cities and the county have the option to opt back in in the future.

“A lot of our cities only meet once a month, or their planning commission’s maybe once a month; they just don’t have the time to put together the zoning and any regulations they would want on the businesses,” Elberfeld explained. “So, this really just buys everyone more time to think through and each city to make their own decision.”

Despite the opt-out, the landscape for cannabis businesses in Kentucky remains promising. The state will issue a limited number of licenses, with 10 allocated for cannabis processors and 48 for dispensaries. These licenses will be distributed across 11 regions, with each region initially receiving at least four dispensary licenses.

As Kentucky prepares to embrace medical cannabis legalization, the journey towards implementation is marked by careful planning and collaboration at both the state and local levels. While challenges and uncertainties may arise, the overarching goal remains clear: to provide patients with safe and regulated access to medical cannabis while respecting the autonomy of local communities.