This past week, July 11, 2024 I joined the KYNORML team of Matthew and Lauren Bratcher for my first true cannabis event, The Ohio Classic Golf Tournament and Exposition. I have been to “hemp” events, including a couple of Southern Hemp Expositions, but never a cannabis event in a legal state. To say I was excited is an understatement of epic proportions.

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.

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 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.

Medical cannabis advocates and enthusiasts gathered from across the commonwealth at Grise Hall at Western Kentucky University Tuesday evening to discuss legislation and the future of medical cannabis in the commonwealth.

It was a truly incredible day yesterday at the Kentucky Capitol as we had the opportunity to meet with Governor Andy Beshear to discuss the important topic of medical cannabis. We were honored to work with Kentucky Moms for Medical Cannabis, founded by Kristin Wilcox and Julie Cantwell, on creating a historic exhibit in the Capitol Tunnel, a passageway that connects the Annex Offices to the Capitol Building and is only accessible to employees or those being escorted.

Kentucky NORML is co-hosting a Live Q&A with State Representative Nima Kulkarni, Kungu Njuguna (ACLU-KY), Kentucky Cannabis Freedom Coalition, Minorites for Medical Marijuana, Kentucky NORML, and Kentucky Moms for Medical Marijuana.