Lexington officials give green light to medical cannabis

This article was originally published by WKYT, report Jessica Umbro

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) - In April, Gov. Andy Beshear announced that medical cannabis businesses could start applying to be licensed on July 1.

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.

One overarching rule is that no cannabis operation can be within 1,000 ft. of a school or daycare; it also establishes a $500 annual licensing fee.

“What we’re doing through a lot of this fee is making sure we’re recouping the cost for checking for that zoning compliance and that tax compliance that we require for these businesses,” said Wesley Holbrook, Director of Revenue for Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government.

Holbrook said there could be two dispensaries in Lexington, and the different parts of the medical cannabis business will be relegated to specific zones that cater to their specific needs.

“For example, these cultivators they require a certain level of security that’s more akin to a factory than an agricultural production facility,” said Holbrook.

Matthew Bratcher, executive director of Kentucky NORML, said the licensing kickoff is a day long-time advocates have been working towards.

“Kentucky’s finally come around and we did all the fighting and stuff, and it’s finally here,” said Bratcher. “You see a lot of interest from people and that just shows how long we’ve really been waiting for this, and so we’re real excited to see this take off and get going.”

The ordinance and state regulations specifically pertain to medical cannabis, which means products will only be accessible to those who are determined to be qualifying patients.

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