​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​***MESSAGE TO PROSPECTIVE BUSINESS APPLICANTS***

If you have an application ready for submission through the Business Licensing Application portal, please submit by August 15, 2024 in order to allow the Office sufficient time to process applications and maintain existing timeframes for license issuance. You can access the portal here. The deadline to submit business applications remains 11:59:59 PM EST on August 31, 2024.

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Overview​​

​As part of his effort to reduce Kentuckians' reliance on addictive opioids and provide them with relief from severe and chronic pain, Gov. Andy Beshear signed Senate Bill 47 on March 31, 2023, which legalizes medical cannabis in the commonwealth effective Jan. 1, 2025.

The Office of Medical Cannabis in the Cabinet for Health and Family Services is charged under KRS Chapter 218B with implementing and administering Kentucky's Medical Cannabis Program. 

As of April 18, 2024, the Program has filed 17 regulations establishing the processes and procedures for medical cannabis businesses and registered cardholders.

Regulations regarding cannabis businesses establish how cultivators, processors, producers, safety compliance facilities, and dispensaries will apply, become licensed, and operate in the Commonwealth. Regulations regarding patients, designated caregivers, and practitioners establish the procedures to receive a written certification and a medical cannabis card, supply limits, and procedures to publish a list of varieties of medical cannabis. 

You can read all of the filed regulations here​

We thank you for your interest and look forward to sharing more information as the Office of Medical Cannabis implements this Program.


​Announcements​​

MESSAGE TO PROSPECTIVE BUSINESS APPLICANTS: If you have an application ready for submission, please submit by August 15, 2024 in order to allow the Office sufficient time to process applications and maintain existing timeframes for license issuance. 07/26/2024: The Program has provided guidance for applicants seeking clarification of identified deficiencies. You can view the guidance here.SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE: Please note that the Business Licensing Application portal will be offline for scheduled maintenance. Please click here for more information.07/24/2024: Team Kentucky Medical Cannabis Workgroup Meeting Notice07/17/2024: Board of Physicians and Advisors Meeting Notice07/15/2024: The Program has issued a new version of the Business Licensing Application Guide. You can view the new version here.07/11/2024: The Program has launched a "practitioner" webpage to provide information to physicians and APRNs who are interested in becoming a medical cannabis practitioner. You can view it here. 07/11/2024: The Program has provided guidance on sufficient capital for cannabis business applicants. You can read it here. 07/01/2024: The Office of Medical Cannabis is now accepting applications for cannabis business licenses through August 31, 2024. Click here for more information. 06/28/2024: The Program has provided guidance regarding Provisional Licenses, Change of Location Requests, and Lottery Selection for Dispensary Licenses. You can read it here.5/31/2024: The Program has provided a cannabis business licensing and application video series to further assist prospective cannabis businesses. You can watch them here.4/19/2024: Team Kentucky Medical Cannabis Workgroup Meeting4/18/2024: Gov. Beshear Provides Team Kentucky Update, Cannabis Business Licensing Announcements4/16/2024: Local Government & Law Enforcement Subcommittee Meeting4/15/2024: Board of Physicians and Advisors Meeting Notice