Kentucky Issues Additional Medical Cannabis Dispensary Licenses
The Kentucky Office of Medical Cannabis awarded 12 new dispensary licenses in a final lottery held on Monday at the Kentucky Lottery Corporation in Louisville.
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This follows the state’s initial allocation of 36 dispensary licenses in November and earlier licenses for cultivators and processors.
Dispensary License Details
Applications Received: 4,075 dispensary license applications.
New License Recipients:
Franklin County: Canntucky Ventures LLC (Frankfort)
Madison County: Garry Kort, Robert Hoogendyk (Richmond)
Scott County: Thriveblue LLC (Georgetown)
Fayette County: DHK KY LLC, ZenLeaf, Inc. (Lexington)
Bullitt County: DNP-DH KY, LLC; KY Pristine Vistas LLC; Pinnacle Path LLC (Shepherdsville)
Shelby County: DJS KY LLC (Shelbyville)
Jefferson County: Chung Woo Kim, LLC; Upward Innovations (Louisville)
Next Steps: Winners must pay a licensing fee within 15 days to secure their licenses. Failure to do so will result in forfeiture.
Medical Cannabis Program Background
Legislation: Medical cannabis was legalized in 2023 for Kentuckians with chronic illnesses.
Expedited Timeline: Bipartisan House Bill 829 accelerated the licensing process from January 2025 to July 1, 2024.
Applications:
Total received: 4,998 (918 for cultivator and processor licenses).
Conditions for patient eligibility include PTSD, cancer, and other approved illnesses.
Access for Patients
Certification Process:
Physicians and APRNs issue certifications (not medical cannabis cards) via an electronic monitoring system.
Patients must link their certifications to their card applications through the state portal.
Directory: A directory launched Dec. 1 lists 230 registered practitioners who can issue certifications.
Future Program Expansion
Governor Andy Beshear expressed optimism about expanding the program, potentially adding more qualifying conditions or licenses if demand grows.
“Our hope is that ... other Kentuckians will have access to treat chronic or difficult conditions,” Beshear stated.
Kentucky’s evolving medical cannabis landscape aims to address patient needs while establishing a robust regulatory framework.
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