FRANKFORT, Ky. — Next month, Kentucky will hold the first of two lotteries to distribute dozens of licenses to companies looking to set up medical marijuana dispensaries across the state.
There are 48 dispensary licenses available across the state's 11 licensing regions.
More than 4,000 businesses applied for dispensary licenses, Gov. Andy Beshear said Thursday.
Beshear said the state would hold its first dispensary license lottery to select applicants in nine regions on Nov. 25.
Four applicants will be drawn for each region.
The final dispensary license drawing will be held on Dec. 16.
Applicants will be drawn for the final two regions, which include Jefferson and Fayette counties. An additional dispensary license will be selected for those counties as well due to their size.
Earlier this week, the state's Office of Medical Cannabis (OCM) held a lottery to select 26 applicants to be given a license to cultivate and process medical marijuana.
One of those licensees, Goeing Blue which will operate in Lexington as Farmtucky, was presented with the state's first medical marijuana cultivator license on Thursday.
"We have submitted an ambitious plan to get started as part of our application," Farmtucky owner Matt Goeing said. "We intend to begin operations at the earliest possible date."
Beshear also announced the OCM will reopen the application portal for testing laboratories from Nov. 1 to Nov. 30.
"This is for safety compliance facilities only -- facilities that help ensure medical cannabis products are safe for Kentuckians to consume," the governor added, saying there are an unlimited number of those licenses available.
Three testing labs have already been approved by the state, one in Nicholasville and two in Louisville.
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