In March 2023, Gov. Andy Beshear signed Senate Bill 47, which legalizes medical cannabis in Kentucky starting January 1, 2025. In April, he set up regulations to establish processes and procedures for medical cannabis businesses and registered cardholders. The governor’s office says the intent of the program is to provide safe and affordable access to medical cannabis.

Ohio joined Illinois and Missouri this week as the third state surrounding Kentucky to begin full retail sale of recreational cannabis. People aged 21 or older can now buy and use cannabis within those states. But bringing any back across to Kentucky is still a crime, and can lead to misdemeanor or even felony charges.

With dispensaries in Ohio now selling recreational marijuana, many residents in neighboring Kentucky who use cannabis may be thinking about making a trip across the Ohio River, activists say. "As Ohio gets rec, people are going to be like, 'OK, shorter trip. I don't have to go to Michigan, don't have to go to Illinois,'" said Matthew Bratcher, executive director of the Kentucky Chapter of National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, referring to the state's previous two closest neighbors with legal recreational marijuana.

Recreational marijuana sales began in Ohio on Tuesday, so what does this mean for Kentucky? Will Kentuckians drive more than an hour north to purchase and or consume product and bring it back with them back into the Commonwealth even though it’s illegal in Kentucky? We have several perspectives on this issue, from the Fayette County attorney to a man who says he went to jail for two days and spent a thousand dollars in court costs for simple possession of marijuana.

Fake medical marijuana certificates are being sold in Kentucky.

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.

Vicente LLP is thrilled to announce that it is the first—and only—law firm to be ranked by Chambers USA in the top tier for both cannabis and psychedelics law, further cementing its position as the unquestioned leader in drug law and policy.

The recent Supreme Court decision to overturn the decades-old Chevron Deference ruling marks a significant shift in the regulatory landscape. This change has far-reaching implications, especially for the cannabis industry, which is at a critical juncture as the Biden Administration pushes to reclassify cannabis to Schedule III.

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.