BY MELISSA PATRICK
KENTUCKY HEALTH NEWS

Kentucky has now approved five medical marijuana cultivators, two safety compliance facilities and seven dispensaries that are either open or preparing to open, Gov. Andy Beshear announced Jan. 29. He said nine licensees are undergoing inspection.

“Folks suffering from serious medical conditions like PTSD, cancer, multiple sclerosis and more now have a safe alternative that can deliver relief,” Beshear said at the news conference.

Most recently, Blue Sage Cannabis Dispensary opened to the public in Nicholasville on Jan. 29, nuEra Cannabis opened in Frankfort on Jan. 30 and Kentucky Alternative Care opened in Louisville on Jan. 31. The Courier Journal reported that Kentucky Alternative Care is the state’s sixth dispensary to open.

Also open are Speakeasy Dispensary in Lexington, Green Releaf Dispensary in Pulaski County and The Post Dispensary in Beaver Dam.

“These openings mark an important step toward building a functional, patient-centered medical cannabis system in Kentucky,” Rachel Roberts, executive director of Kentucky Cannabis Industry Alliance, said in a news release. “Each new dispensary brings improved access, choice and geographic coverage for patients across the state.”

So far, more than 18,000 Kentuckians have been approved for medical cannabis cards. Over 510 practitioners are registered to issue certifications, and they have already issued more than 28,000 electronic certifications, according to Beshear.

Kentucky Health News is an independent news service of the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, based in the School of Journalism and Media at the University of Kentucky, with support from the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky.