Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear announced that, as medical cannabis is now legal in the commonwealth, and Team Kentucky has launched every step of the medical cannabis process, his 2022 executive order providing conditional pardons to Kentuckians suffering from eligible conditions who purchased medical cannabis out of state will end on July 1, 2026.
“This step was taken before I signed legislation legalizing medical cannabis in Kentucky in 2023,” said Beshear in a statement. “Now that medical cannabis is readily available here, we’re going to end these conditional pardons, as folks can contact an eligible practitioner and apply for a medical cannabis card right here in Kentucky.”
Beshear also provided an update on licensed medical cannabis businesses. So far, 11 cultivators, two safety compliance facilities, three processors and 17 dispensaries are approved to operate in the commonwealth. More than 24,288 Kentuckians have been approved for medical cannabis cards. Nearly 500 practitioners are registered to issue certifications.
This month, the Governor signed an executive order directing Kentucky’s Office of Medical Cannabis to issue an emergency regulation further clarifying qualifying conditions for medical cannabis in Kentucky law. With the clarification, 15 additional conditions are recognized.
