Earlier today, Kentucky became the 38th state to legalize medical cannabis when Governor Andy Beshear (D) signed Senate Bill 47 into law. The victory follows failed attempts to pass similar legislation in 2020 and 2022.

When Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear indicated last May he would be issuing an executive order on legalizing medical cannabis, leaders in the state’s General Assembly accused him of overstepping the constitutional separation of powers.

For some advocates, it’s been nearly 10 years since they started working towards legalizing medical cannabis in Kentucky. Friday morning, Governor Andy Beshear signed Senate Bill 47 making medical marijuana use and sale legal in the state starting in 2025. What exactly does that mean for Kentuckians? Kentucky now joins 37 other states that have enacted medical marijuana access.

Members of the House and Senate have approved legislation, Senate Bill 47, regulating the production and dispensing of cannabis products to authorized patients.

Kentucky House and Senate lawmakers have approved legislation, Senate Bill 47, establishing a medical cannabis access program for qualified patients with an authorization from their physician.

Kentucky Senate Bill 47 is seen as a continuation of the previous discussions around medical cannabis as proposed by Rep. Nemes in previous legislative sessions. Although it has some flaws, such as the absence of home grows for patients and caregivers, no employment protections for medical cannabis patients, and the mandated use of pharmacists in dispensaries, these issues are not insurmountable.

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.

Today, Governor Beshear signed two cannabis-related executive orders. The first allows patients who have been diagnosed with a qualifying condition to possess up to 8 ounces of medical cannabis legally obtained from dispensaries in states that offer reciprocity. The second order pertains to the regulation the sale of delta-8 products.