medical cannabis

A rural town in western Kentucky will be home to the state's first medical cannabis dispensary. The Post Dispensary in Beaver Dam has received approval to open the state's first dispensary since medical marijuana became legal on Jan. 1.

Armory Kentucky imported thousands of adult plants that will be ready for harvest in two months, hastening the timeline for when some medical cannabis will be in dispensaries.

Companies tied to Chicago-based Cresco Labs submitted 128 expensive applications for Kentucky medical cannabis licenses. They landed two, delivering the most coveted cultivator operation back to Cresco.

Kentucky’s state auditor is investigating the process for how medical marijuana licenses were awarded last year, which was criticized by local hemp farmers.

Medical cannabis is technically legal for eligible patients in Kentucky on Jan. 1, but it will likely be many months until homegrown marijuana makes its way into stores for purchase.

Only one business to win a medical marijuana license in Kentucky’s first dispensary lottery was made up of only Kentucky residents.

The Kentucky Office of Medical Cannabis deemed a list of applicants for the recently completed dispensary lottery in nine regions to be exempt from open records requests.

Despite concerns that out-of-state businesses have been able to gain advantage in the state’s medical cannabis license lottery, Kentucky’s governor insists it remains fair.

Most of the first 26 businesses to win Kentucky medical cannabis cultivator and processor licenses from its lottery system are tied to marijuana companies based in other states, one of which likely submitted hundreds of applications.

Starting Dec. 1, Kentuckians with a range of chronic illnesses can begin visiting their doctor to be approved for medical marijuana. Patients wanting access must have received written certification from their physician.