Beginning December 1, authorized medical cannabis practitioners will be able to begin issuing valid written certifications to Kentucky patients, Gov. Andy Beshear announced this week. The Office of Medical Cannabis has already issued 29 licenses to cultivators, safety compliance facilities, and processors. The first dispensary licenses will be issued in the coming weeks.
The office will hold lotteries on two dates for dispensary licenses. The first will be held on November 25 for nine of the 11 medical cannabis dispensary licensing regions. The selectees for the remaining two regions will be drawn on December 16.
On July 1, 2024, Kentucky-licensed doctors and Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) began applying to their licensing boards to become authorized medical cannabis practitioners. To date, 154 Kentucky doctors and APRNs have become authorized medical cannabis practitioners, and that number is growing steadily each week, according to a release from Beshear’s office.
To help Kentuckians find authorized practitioners, Team Kentucky is launching the Kentucky Medical Cannabis Practitioner Directory. This online directory will allow Kentucky patients to find the practitioner nearest them, search within a specific city or county, or search by a specific specialty. The directory will be available beginning December 1 at kymedcan.ky.gov.
To receive a written certification, patients will need to find an authorized practitioner, set up an initial appointment, receive a diagnosis or confirmation of a qualifying condition, and retrieve the written certification when applying for a medical cannabis card. All valid certifications must be entered by the authorized practitioner through the Office of Medical Cannabis’ online portal.
The Governor also announced that Team Kentucky will be hosting a monthly webinar series for any Kentuckian interested in becoming a medical cannabis cardholder. The webinar dates are posted at kymedcan.ky.gov.
The City of Owensboro and Daviess County Fiscal Court have both approved an ordinance establishing zoning regulations for medical cannabis dispensaries (MCD) locally.
A statewide rollout plan was previously introduced that will allow operations to open starting on January 1, 2025. Municipalities were asked to create planning and zoning codes for the businesses before then to allow applicants to develop plans while applying for the sole license per county in the first phase.
The local ordinance sets guidelines for where medical cannabis businesses, including dispensaries and cultivation centers, can operate. The new rules exist to ensure the facilities are not located in close proximity to residential areas, schools, and other “sensitive sites.”
Other highlights include that the dispensary cannot open earlier than 8 a.m. or later than 8 p.m. and cannot be located at the same site and location used for growing, cultivating, or processing medical cannabis.
