More than a year after the Kentucky Medical Cannabis Program officially launched, bringing Kentuckians “safe and reliable” access to medical marijuana, Gov. Andy Beshear signed an executive order to expand access for patients.
Prior to the June 2 executive order, Kentucky law provided access to medical marijuana for patients with certain medical conditions including: any type or form of cancer, severe or chronic pain, epilepsy or other intractable seizure disorder, multiple sclerosis, muscle spasms or spasticity, chronic nausea or cyclical vomiting syndrome and PTSD.
The executive order directs the Office of Medical Cannabis to issue an emergency regulation to “clarify” that the state law includes 15 additional qualifying conditions. These conditions include: terminal illness, sickle cell anemia, ALS, Parkinson’s disease, HIV, AIDS, Huntington’s disease, muscular dystrophy, cachexia or wasting syndrome, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, neuropathies, severe arthritis, fibromyalgia and glaucoma.
“We recognize that the state’s list of qualifying conditions can be a bit confusing,” Beshear said. “… Conditions might not be listed in the statute itself, but the underlying symptoms of them are right there in the wording. So, we want to make this more clear and we want to help more people.”
Beshear said the Office of Medical Cannabis, along with the Kentucky Medical Cannabis Work Group and the Kentucky Board of Physicians and Advisors, have all previously asked the General Assembly to clarify the law but “unfortunately, they’ve refused to act,” which is what spurred the June 2 executive order.
“Too much is at risk to just stand by and let the law’s lack of clarity leave Kentuckians without relief,” Beshear said.
As of June 2, there were more than 23,700 Kentuckians approved for medical cannabis cards as patients and more than 500 medical practitioners registered to issue certifications, Beshear said. The newly announced executive order would allow more than 406,000 people in the commonwealth to be eligible for medical marijuana.
The Kentucky Medical Cannabis Program — which regulates the legal cultivation, production, sale and use of medical marijuana products — officially launched in the commonwealth Jan. 1, 2025, nearly two years after the governor signed legislation legalizing medical marijuana.
And since then, 16 dispensaries have opened across the state, including ones in Louisville and Lexington, as well as dozens of cultivators and processor facilities.
Kentucky was the 38th state to legalize medical cannabis, 30 years after California paved the way with the Compassionate Use Act.
Products available at dispensaries for medical marijuana consumption in Kentucky include edibles, oils, tinctures, vapes and raw plant material. State law strictly prohibits the smoking of medical marijuana.
“The program is doing exactly what it was intended to do; reduce pain, nausea and suffering, so Kentuckians can live fuller lives,” Beshear said during the June 2 press conference.
Contact business reporter Olivia Evans at oevans@courier-journal.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @oliviamevans_.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Beshear expands Kentucky medical marijuana access with executive order
Reporting by Olivia Evans, Louisville Courier Journal / Louisville Courier Journal
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