Kentucky Medical Cannabis Program Now Accepting Business Applications
As of July 1, 2024, the Kentucky Medical Cannabis program is accepting business applications for dispensary, cultivator, and safety compliance facility licenses. The application window for the first round of licenses will close on August 31, 2024 so businesses interested in acquiring a license during the initial application availability period should apply before then. The KMCP has not announced when the next application availability period will begin.
How to Apply
Business applicants should register an account through the Business License Application Portal in order to apply for the appropriate license and process the associated application fee. A comprehensive Business Licensing Application Guide and a six-part Business Licensing Application Guidance Video Series have been created by the KCMP to aid applicants through this process.
Additionally, an FAQ page for cannabis busniness questions has been published by the KMCP. If further information is needed, business applicants can contact the Office of Medical Cannabis here.
Initial License Availability and Lottery Selection Process
The state will be issuing a select number of licenses from this initial round of applications, so if the number of applications exceeds the number of available licenses, a lottery will be held in October 2024 to determine which businesses will be approved (with the exception of safety compliance facilities).
Once approved, these businesses will be able to begin cultivating and producing medical marijuana products, but licensed dispensaries will not be legally allowed to sell any cannabis until January 1, 2025.
Dispensary Distribution
In an attempt to ensure that patients across the state have access to dispensaries, the Office of Medical Cannabis has divided the state into 11 dispensary licensing regions, allocating a specific number of licenses to each region based on population.
Image credit KCMP
According to a press release from the Cabinet for Health and Family Services in April 2024, every region will be allotted four dispensary licenses but each county will only be allowed one dispensary. The only exceptions are Jefferson and Fayette County, which are allowed two dispensaries each. CHFS closes the press release by stating that “the Beshear administration is committed to ensuring Kentuckians with qualifying medical conditions have safe, affordable access to medical cannabis.”
Get approved for medical marijuana use now!
Although Kentucky dispensaries will not open until 2025 at the earliest, patients with a qualifying medical condition can get approved by a medical marijuana doctor to use and possess legally purchased marijuana. Find out more about the program here or give us a call at 502-818-0420.