Beshear seeks to expand medical cannabis program

Legalized marijuana for medicinal use and goes into effect Jan. 1, 2025.

(Story Courtesy of Kentucky Today)

FRANKFORT, Ky. (KT) – The Beshear administration is seeking to expand the list of conditions that qualify for using medical marijuana when it becomes legal in 2025.

The Board of Physicians and Advisors and the Team Kentucky Medical Cannabis Workgroup recently voted unanimously to recommend to the General Assembly that it expand the qualifying conditions in the 2024 session.

The board and workgroup are asking lawmakers to add:

• ALS or Lou Gehrig’s Disease

• Parkinson’s Disease

• Chron’s Disease

• Sickle Cell Anemia

• Cachexia or Wasting Syndrome

• Neuropathies

• Severe Arthritis

• Hepatitis C

• Fibromyalgia

• Muscular Dystrophy

• Huntington’s Disease

• HIV

• AIDS

• Glaucoma

• Terminal illness

The list of current conditions includes:

• Cancer

• Post-traumatic stress disorder

• Chronic pain

• Epilepsy

• Chronic nausea

• Muscle spasms.

Gov. Andy Beshear said Thursday the Kentucky Medical Cannabis Program continues to build technical capabilities and a regulatory framework ahead of the full implementation of Senate Bill 47, which legalized marijuana for medicinal use and goes into effect Jan. 1, 2025.

The Beshear administration filed 10 new regulations, which provide direction for how medical cannabis businesses, including cultivators, processors, producers, dispensaries and safety compliance facilities, will operate in the state.

The governor announced a new partnership with Tyler Technologies and Metrc to meet requirements of the law and help establish the medical cannabis electronic monitoring system and patient/caregiver registry.

Sam Flynn, executive director of the Kentucky Medical Cannabis Program, said he has added personnel to the program’s executive team — including a director for licensure and access, a director of enforcement and compliance and an education and outreach coordinator.  The program has also started to hire merit staff positions.

The program team has also launched an interactive cannabis business zoning tool, which will be hosted on its website. The law prohibits cannabis businesses from locating their business within 1,000 feet of a primary or secondary school or daycare and allows local governments to issue additional zoning restrictions.

To view the zoning tool, find more information about the Medical Cannabis Program or view job openings, visit kymedcan.ky.gov.