LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Dozens of cannabis businesses were approved to distribute medical marijuana in Kentucky.
The Office of Medical Cannabis (OMC) held a random lottery Monday at the Kentucky Lottery’s headquarters in Louisville to distribute three dozen dispensary licenses for nine of the eleven licensing regions, excluding Jefferson and Fayette counties.
There are a total of 48 dispensary licenses available. More than 4,000 businesses submitted applications for the licenses.
Of those, more than 2,800 were for the nine regions in Monday’s drawing and 88% of those applications were approved to be in Monday's lottery drawing.
Another lottery for the last two regions, which include Jefferson and Fayette counties, will be held on Dec. 16.
Four applicants were chosen for each region. While some businesses were chosen to operate in the same county, only one dispensary can be built in each county.
OMC Executive Director Sam Flynn said the first applicant chosen can stay in that county. Any other applicant approved for that same county will need to relocate to another county in the region that allows medical marijuana businesses to operate.
"We will ensure that there's that geographic spread and access points again throughout that region," he explained. "At the end of the day, we wanna make sure that people have access and not driving multiple hours to get their medical cannabis."
Businesses selected in Monday's drawing have 15 days to pay their licensing fee. If they don't pay the fee, Flynn said the business could forfeit their license.
In October, a similar lottery was held for medical cannabis cultivator and processors licenses.
Twenty-six businesses were selected, and all have been licensed, Gov. Andy Beshear said.
“All of the medical cannabis that’s going to be in Kentucky and dispensed in these Kentucky dispensaries has to be grown, processed and tested here in Kentucky,” Flynn said. “You can’t sell any plant ‘til you actually grow it first.”
Qualified patients can apply for a medical cannabis card on or after Jan. 1, 2025.
To be eligible, patients will need to receive a written certification from an authorized doctor or nurse practitioner.
An online directory to help patients find providers launches Dec. 1.
These cannabis business won a dispensary license on Nov. 25:
NOTE: An asterisk indicates that company was selected first to operate in a county if multiple businesses were selected for the same county in a region.
Region 3 – Northeast
- RTZ 20 LLC – Ashland, Boyd County*
- Boarder Construction LLC – Ashland, Boyd County
- Southern Green Wellness LLC – Mt. Sterling, Montgomery County
- Bluegrass Blooms LLC – Ashland, Boyd County
Region 4 – South Central
- Zeus Agoraios LLC – Franklin, Simpson County
- AR-MO-KY-MS Cannabis Ventures LLC – Bowling Green, Warren County*
- PROMO PULSE LLC – Bowling Green, Warren County
- FLOWER RADAR LLC – Bowling Green, Warren County
Region 5 – Cumberland
- REED KY DISPENSARY LLC – Somerset, Pulaski County*
- ERH KY LLC – Somerset, Pulaski County
- JM Medicinals LLC – Russell Springs, Russell County
- No 1 Boundary LLC – Corbin, Whitley County
Region 6 – Mountain
- BSRKYAPP LLC – Martin, Floyd County
- HYE Property Management LLC – Stanton, Powell County
- Kentuckyzen LLC – Pikeville, Pike County*
- REED KY DISPENSARY LLC – Pikeville, Pike County
Region 7 – Pennyrile
- Mallard Club LLC – Oak Grove, Christian County
- ARKY Capital Investments LLC – Eddyville, Lyon County*
- River City Relief House LLC – Eddyville, Lyon County
- DPDMJF Cannabis Holding Company LLC – Eddyville, Lyon County
Region 8 – West Kentucky
- OM MED LLC – Paducah, McCracken County*
- KY-CannCo LLC – Paducah, McCracken County
- Green4U LLC – Mayfield, Graves County
- Leiber Canna II LLC – Paducah, McCracken County
Region 9 – Lincoln Trail
- Barrio Capital Partners LLC – Elizabethtown, Hardin County*
- Thoroughtrek LLC – Radcliff, Hardin County
- NGHKC – Eastview, Hardin County
- Wynn Win LLC – Elizabethtown, Hardin County
Region 10 – Northern Kentucky
- YELLOW FLOWERS LLC – Erlanger, Kenton County*
- Nicole Tirella – Alexandria, Campbell County
- Bluegrass Cannacare LLC – Florence, Boone County
- GREEN GRASS CANNABIS LLC – Erlanger, Kenton County
Region 11 – Green River
- OTC KY 3 LLC – Henderson, Henderson County*
- Bungalow House LLC – Owensboro, Daviess County*
- Tree Soft LLC – Henderson, Henderson County
- CP INVESTMENT LLC – Owensboro, Daviess County
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