The window to apply for a medical cannabis business license in Kentucky closes at the end of this month.
The Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services said it has received around a dozen permit applications for medical marijuana businesses.
Paula Savchenko, founder of the Cannacore Group, a cannabis and psychedelic licensing firm and PS Law Group, a regulated substances law firm, said licenses are the first step in setting up the framework for the state's industry. She pointed out she is working with farmers across the Commonwealth who are interested in applying for licenses. She expects the number of applications to increase by the deadline.
"I think what's happening is that people are just waiting to submit their applications until closer to the deadline," Savchenko noted. "Because it does take some time to get all the pieces together and ready to submit."
In 2023, Gov. Andy Beshear signed Senate Bill 47 into law, legalizing medical cannabis for Kentuckians; the law goes into effect on Jan. 1.
Around nine in 10 Americans say marijuana should be legal for medical or recreational use, according to a Pew Research Center survey done last year. An overwhelming majority of adults said they believe marijuana should be at least legal for medical use.
Savchenko emphasized interested individuals should take the time to understand the different types of licenses available.
"There's manufacturing, which would be extraction, infusion, and then there's retail, which would be dispensaries," Savchenko outlined. "In the next round, there's also going to be licenses that allow for both cultivation and manufacturing."
Criminal justice reform advocates argued legalizing marijuana must come with record expungement and reinvestment in the communities most harmed by marijuana convictions.
