Kentucky Medical Cannabis Program website goes live
Although Governor Beshear’s Executive Order 2022-798 is already in effect, many Kentuckians are anxiously awaiting for January 1, 2025. On this day, Senate Bill 47 will go into effect, officially starting Kentucky’s medical cannabis program.
Beshear selected Sam Flynn to serve as the executive director of the medical cannabis program. Flynn previously was the chief of the labor and education cabinet.
Beshear also formed the Team Kentucky Medical Cannabis Workgroup. According to the governor, the group is designed “… to study evolving medical cannabis industry policy and the state of medical cannabis policy in our Commonwealth and around the country.”
Beshear has selected 12 individuals from state and local government, as well as the private sector, to serve on the workgroup. Their first meeting was held on October 4, 2023. Ultimately, this group will make recommendations to the program to “ensure (Kentuckians) have safe access to medical cannabis.”
Ahead of the launch of the state’s medical cannabis program, Beshear encouraged those with qualifying medical conditions to “continue to seek relief… by going out of state” and following the conditions detailed in an executive order he signed last year.
This executive order enables eligible patients to purchase and possess up to eight ounces from dispensaries in other states. To get approved for medical marijuana use now, you can make an appointment with one of our medical marijuana doctors.
Finally, Governor Beshear unveiled the new website that will post updates about Kentucky’s medical marijuana program. Currently, it has a FAQ page that covers general questions, medical practitioner questions, cannabis business questions and more. From this page, we already have a general idea of how getting a medical marijuana card in 2025 will work. We also know the medical marijuana card will last for one year. The process is detailed below:
Visit a registered medical cannabis practitioner.
Get a written certification to use medical cannabis.
Apply online through the patient and caregiver registry portal provided by the medical cannabis program.
Upload required documentation.
Pay the application fee.