Kentucky patients seeking to receive medical marijuana may be able to do so very early in 2025, helped in part by the passage of a bill Monday to move up the licensing timeline for the state’s new program.
The state’s medical cannabis program was created by Senate Bill 47 in 2023 and is set to go into effect Jan. 1, 2025. However, under the terms of SB 47, cannabis growers cannot begin planting seeds until they are licensed that year, meaning dispensaries would likely not have any marijuana to sell to patients until the spring or summer.
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Under the final version of House Bill 829 passed Monday, this timeline is moved up to allow businesses applying to be cannabis growers, processors or dispensaries to be approved for a license as early as this summer. The bill passed by a large bipartisan majority in each chamber, with only Republicans voting against it.
Republican Sen. Stephen West of Paris — the lead author of SB 47 last year — told committee members Friday this move was to ensure there was enough time to grow and process cannabis so patients could buy medication on the first available day when it became legal.
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