Provided Kentucky residents obtain a doctor’s recommendation, they can apply for a medical marijuana card. Once the application gains approval, said subjects are permitted to access cannabis at licensed dispensaries.
The Process
On January 2, those calling Kentucky home may stop by the State’s Office of Medical Cannabis (OMC) application portal, offer the necessary information, and, for a $25 fee, qualify for a card. That said, state officials claim that this process could take several days to complete.
Eligibility requirements include written documentation from a physician demonstrating that the applicant has been diagnosed with a qualifying condition. Medical professionals have been issuing such certifications since last month.
A Political Issue
During November’s elections, more than 100 municipalities across Kentucky approved local laws enabling medical cannabis establishments to operate within their borders. Since then, the state has held two licensing lotteries, and regulators have approved roughly 50 dispensaries.
Kentucky Democratic Governor Andy Beshear said the election results demonstrate that no further debate on the existence of medical cannabis dispensaries is needed and that the topic is supported across political and geographical boundaries.
However, the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) recently informed those intending to participate in the medical marijuana program that they are not permitted to purchase or own firearms.
A Prelude to Broader Marijuana Legislation
Late last year, Beshear stated that Kentucky might take another leap of faith and inch closer to adopting the legalization of recreational marijuana provided that state officials prove the medical program works and is properly regulated.
“I think that the way the system is being set up is going to be one that is safe,” said Beshear. “You know, I’m a former attorney general. I wanted to do this in a way to where we regulate it. The office that’s been created has done a really good job.”
Toward the end of 2024, Beshear endorsed legislation expediting the medical cannabis licensing period by six months ahead, enabling the market to establish itself more firmly. During a two-month application window that ended in October, regulators received nearly 5,000 appeals for business licenses. This effort yielded the state almost $28 million in non-refundable application fees.
Beshear participated in discussions inside the White House last March alongside Vice President and former Presidential candidate Kamala Harris, who focused on offering pardons to those receiving clemency under President Biden’s pardon proclamations.
After the President issued his first proclamations in 2022, Beshear actively considered marijuana-related clemency actions in Kentucky.
Moreover, in July of 2024, he supported the Biden administration’s marijuana rescheduling proposal, claiming that such reform would substantially impact patients, communities, businesses, and research.
Earlier last year, the governor additionally announced that his State’s Bureau of Medical Licensing and Nursing would allow doctors and nurses to issue medical cannabis recommendations to patients starting in July.
Beshear has also encouraged state legislators to expand the medical marijuana initiative. In 2024, he commenced this process by announcing that two independent advisory groups he appointed voted unanimously to suggest adding more than a dozen new qualification conditions.
In 2024, Kentucky lawmakers passed HB 420, which proposed the legalization and regulation of cannabis for individuals aged 21 and older. However, the legislation was turned down in the state house.
State representatives also introduced HB 72. This act, which Democratic Representative Nima Kulkarni created, would end penalties imposed upon those found in simple possession of marijuana and use in persons 21 and older.
Additionally, the law would allow adults to grow a limited number of marijuana plants inside their homes. That said, commercial sales would still be forbidden. Kulkarni’s proposal was not voted into law.
