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VERIFY | 3 common misconceptions about medical marijuana in Kentucky

Governor Andy Beshear signed executive orders in 2022, but the details are still complex.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Governor Beshear signed an executive order in late 2022 pardoning medical marijuana use for certain patients.

Just last year, Kentucky lawmakers gave the green light for the state to launch a medical marijuana program in 2025.

Between the two – what’s legal right now has gotten complicated for some.

So, we want to sort fact from fiction.

THE QUESTION

Is medical marijuana legal right now in Kentucky?

THE SOURCES

Tim Hall - Professor of Law at the University of Louisville
The Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services
The executive order itself

THE ANSWER

No, the executive orders did not legalize marijuana for medicinal purposes. That law doesn’t go into effect until 2025.

This is false.

WHAT WE FOUND

Professor Tim Hall says the current order sends a message to prosecutors - don't bother prosecuting low level weed possession.

“Anyone who might be prosecuted in Kentucky under this particular marijuana law will be pardoned,” Hall said.

Instead, here's what the order does.

Someone with a diagnosis from the list of 21 approved conditions can possess up to 8 ounces of marijuana. 
That marijuana must come from a state where it's legal, like Illinois. 
And don't forget to keep your receipt.

THE QUESTION

Do you need a letter from your doctor specifically recommending cannabis?

THE ANSWER

No, the executive orders do not require a doctor’s recommendation.

This is false.

WHAT WE FOUND

What you actually need is a doctor to confirm you are diagnosed with one of the 20-plus conditions.

“This is not a medical cannabis card in the sense that we see it in Illinois, or Nevada or Colorado, or any of the other places where it's legal," Professor Hall said.

Hall said what you really are looking for is a "certification."

“Basically, a note from your doctor saying you are their patient. They are your doctor. And you have one of a list of about 20 conditions,” Hall said.

THE QUESTION

Will this ‘certification’ carry over into 2025?

THE ANSWER

No, you’ll need a different type of certification from a doctor.

   

This is false.

WHAT WE FOUND

A spokesperson with the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services sent us a statement saying:

“Under SB 47, to be eligible for a card, an individual will need to have a written certification from a physician or APRN authorized to write certifications. [The] Kentucky Board of Medical Licensure and the Kentucky Board of Nursing have issued ordinary regulations that govern how a physician or APRN can become authorized.”

These regulations are not final yet.

But eventually, you will have to go to a doctor or nurse specifically authorized to write medical marijuana certifications, in order to apply for a medical cannabis card.

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