FRANKFORT, Ky. — The rollout of Kentucky's medical marijuana program is moving six months ahead of schedule.
Gov. Andy Beshear said, starting on July 1, the state will begin accepting applications from prospective medical cannabis businesses looking to come to Kentucky.
Kentucky's Board of Medical Licensure and Board of Nursing will also begin taking applications from physicians and Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) looking to become authorized to write medical cannabis certifications.
Patients with qualifying conditions still won't be able to apply for a medical cannabis card until Jan. 1, 2025.
"This administration has been working hard to expedite the timeline for making medial cannabis available to Kentuckians with serious medical conditions," the governor said on Thursday.
There are only a number of licenses available for businesses looking to set up in Kentucky, however.
According to officials with the medical cannabis program there are 16 cultivations licenses for facilities of various sizes, ten processor licenses and 48 licenses for dispensaries up for grabs.
If the number of approved applications outnumber the licenses available, then those applications will be put in a lottery, which would take place in October.
The Kentucky Medical Cannabis Program has launched a series of webinars, along with other materials, to assist businesses and physicians with the application process. Click here to learn more.
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