In Kentucky, the introduction of medical cannabis isn’t in place just yet, but it is taking a large step. Starting on July 1, businesses and medical practitioners wishing to apply for medical cannabis licenses may do so.

Kentucky is just six months away from launching its medical marijuana program. July 1 marked another significant step in the process with businesses officially beginning to file paperwork to get growing. There could be as many as 1.2 million Kentuckians eligible for a medical marijuana card. Every step, from seed to storefront, has to happen within state borders.

Some cities and counties have chosen to ban these businesses, but Thursday night, the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council voted to regulate medical cannabis businesses. The ordinance passed primarily concerns where businesses will be allowed to set up shop in Fayette County.

As Kentucky moves towards implementing its medical cannabis program, local governments have significant decision-making power. It is vitally important to inform citizens about their options regarding medical cannabis businesses in their municipalities and the steps necessary to overturn local ordinances prohibiting these businesses.

The history of enslaved people in Kentucky dates back to the earliest explorers of the Kaintuckee territory. Slavery was the law in the English colonies and enslaved people were part of many scouting parties. Enslaved people were also a part of the earliest settlement expeditions into the territory in 1774-75.

On April 13, 1941, the headline Narcotics Agents Arrest Five: 200 Pounds of Marijuana Seized appeared on the front page of the Lexington Herald-Leader. At the time, “(t)he haul was the largest ever made in a raid in this section of the country,” Federal narcotics agents claimed the Kentucky arrests were “believed to have broken up a ring of dope peddlers which supported a wide territory including the states of Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Kentucky.”

The medical cannabis business is growing quickly across the country, and a recent bill signed by Gov. Beshear creates a structure for Kentuckians looking to participate and utilize the industry.

House Bill 829 addresses concerns raised by last year’s Senate Bill 47, which made the start date for Kentucky’s medical cannabis business Jan. 1, 2025.

Lawmakers in the House and Senate have approved legislation, Senate Bill 829, imposing new restrictions on patients’ ability to access medical cannabis products. The bill awaits action from Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear.

On March 12, legislation that would impose multiple barriers on medical marijuana access in Kentucky passed through the House and on to the Senate. Among other stipulations, the proposed bill would make many people convicted of drug possession ineligible for the state’s medical marijuana program.

The inaugural Kentucky Cannabis Conference, organized by Kentucky NORML (National Organization for the Reformation of Marijuana Laws) was an opportunity for various stakeholders at every level to discuss the next steps. Spanning 3 days, March 7-9, the conference featured 26 exhibitors/presenters and attracted over 145 paid attendees. Actual attendance was even more significant with legislators and state regulatory employees using their free admission. Looking back, it is safe to say that the inaugural Kentucky Cannabis Conference was an unqualified success.