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Kentucky’s medical cannabis law goes into effect

Stock image of cannabis leaves
pixabay.com
Stock image of cannabis leaves

Kentucky’s medical cannabis law takes effect this year. That means eligible Kentuckians can now apply for a medical card if they have certain conditions.

Those include cancer, chronic pain or nausea, multiple sclerosis, PTSD or seizures.

It will still take some time for medical cannabis to be available at dispensaries. Kentucky law requires all cannabis sold to be grown in-state.

In the meantime, those interested in applying need to have a certification from a practitioner. That involves scheduling an in-person appointment and getting a diagnosis or confirmation of their medical condition.

Gov. Andy Beshear said during his Dec. 19 media briefing that more than 220 Kentucky doctors and registered nurses are eligible to write certifications, and that more than 1,800 patients had already received their certifications.

A list of practitioners can be found here.

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Shepherd joined WEKU in June 2023 as a staff reporter. He most recently worked for West Virginia Public Broadcasting as General Assignment Reporter. In that role, he collected interviews and captured photos in the northern region of West Virginia. Shepherd holds a master’s degree in Digital Marketing Communication and a bachelor’s in music from West Virginia University.
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