Kentucky

The state auditor of Kentucky has launched an investigation into the lottery-based licensing process used for the state’s new medical cannabis program.

Lawmakers in the Kentucky Senate have approved a proposal to cap the THC content in hemp-derived infused beverages at 5%.

Kentucky officials have awarded the state’s first medical cannabis patient IDs, with about 2,200 applications approved.

Some Kentucky Democrats have introduced bills to put an adult-use cannabis legalization question to voters during the next general election in 2026. The constitutional amendment would legalize cannabis home grows and establish a taxed-and-regulated marketplace.

The Kentucky medical cannabis program officially launched on January 1, 2025, after months of licensing lotteries and cannabis patient registrations. Patients must be approved for the program by their physician.

Kentucky cannabis regulators have announced the state’s final 12 medical cannabis dispensary license winners, awarded via a lottery of over 4,000 applicants.

Kentucky is set to open medical cannabis patient certifications on December 1 in preparation for launching the state’s medical cannabis program next year.

Kentucky voters across the state overwhelmingly passed ballot measures allowing medical cannabis operations at the local level.

Kentucky is conducting the state’s first lottery for medical cannabis business licenses today. The first round of lottery-based licensing will cover medical cannabis cultivators and processors.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear (D) this week announced the first company to receive a medical cannabis business license is KCA Labs, a Nicholasville-based testing facility that already conducts tests on hemp products.

Kentucky officials have received 4,998 applications for medical cannabis business licenses, the governor announced this week. The majority of the applications (4,076) are for dispensary permits.

The largest school district in Kentucky last week approved a policy allowing students to use prescribed medical cannabis treatments while at school.

Kentucky officials will begin accepting applications for the state’s medical cannabis growers, manufacturers, and retailers starting on Monday, July 1.

Kentucky will hold a lottery for the state’s initial medical cannabis business licenses in October, keeping the state on track for the medical cannabis program’s anticipated launch on January 1, 2025.

Kentucky hemp and vape companies have filed a lawsuit against a new state law that limits the sale of vape products to only those approved by the FDA or those with a “safe harbor certification.”

Kentucky has partnered with Metrc for its first track-and-trace contract in the medical cannabis program, aiming to ensure regulatory compliance and safeguard patient health as the state prepares for the program’s launch.

The Kentucky Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission is considering the use of ibogaine, a naturally occurring psychedelic, as a treatment for opioid addiction after hearing from more than a dozen people about their personal and professional experiences with the substance.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear (D) last week signed the state’s medical cannabis legalization bill into law; the bill allows patients to access cannabis edibles and concentrates but stops short of permitting smokable products.

Kentucky lawmakers passed a bill to legalize medical cannabis in the state on Thursday, sending the proposal to Gov. Andy Beshear (D) who said he plans to “proudly” sign the legislation later today.

The Kentucky Senate this week passed a medical cannabis legalization proposal; the proposal moves next to the House, which has previously passed similar reforms.

The Kentucky Senate Licensing and Occupations Committee yesterday voted to advance the state’s recent medical cannabis proposal to the full chamber for consideration.

The Kentucky Senate Licensing and Occupations Committee will hear a medical cannabis legalization proposal today.