KY's Medical Marijuana Program: Patients Still Waiting

Nearly eight months after the state program's launch, medical marijuana sales still haven't begun in Kentucky, leaving thousands of registered card holders wondering when they'll get access to treatment.

As of July 8, more than 16,000 Kentuckians have received written certifications from their health care providers to use medical cannabis — a requirement to prove patients have one of the six qualifying conditions under state law.

A smaller number, 11,504 Kentuckians, have successfully applied for and received medical cannabis cards since the program's launch Jan. 1, according to figures from the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services.

Gov. Andy Beshear has acknowledged frustrations with the pace of the program's launch, but blamed the delay on the requirements of Senate Bill 47, which legalized medical cannabis in Kentucky.

"We recognize that it's taking longer than we would have liked, but the law kind of set that up with how it had to be implemented," Beshear said during a June 26 news conference.

Kentucky's law legalizing marijuana to treat a limited number of medical conditions requires cannabis sold here to be grown, tested and processed within state borders. The commonwealth granted medical cannabis business licenses through a series of lotteries in the fall before officially accepting card holder applications beginning in January.

Asked at the June news conference whether Kentuckians would need to wait until 2026 for medical marijuana sales to begin, Beshear said "I hope not."

Original link

Copyright

©420 Intel