Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear (D) on Thursday announced the state’s first medical cannabis business license will go to KCA Labs, a Nicholasville testing facility that already tests for cannabinoids and pollutants in hemp and other natural products, WLKY reports.
The license for KCA Labs is the first license awarded by the state under the state’s medical cannabis legalization reforms signed into law by the governor last April.
“I love that the first license is going to an entity that helps us do this safely. Our Office of Medical Cannabis has established strict regulations, and a safety compliance facility like KCA will guarantee all Kentucky cannabis is held to the highest medical standards.” — Beshear, in a statement
Kentucky received nearly 5,000 applications for medical cannabis business licenses, including 4,076 applications for retail dispensary licenses. Under state law, there can only be a limited number of medical cannabis cultivators, processors, and retailers in the state. The licenses for such entities will be available by lottery later this year while the permits for testing facilities, which are not capped in the state, will not be awarded by lottery.
While the state has begun the process of licensing medical cannabis operators to serve the market, cannabis patients in Kentucky have to wait until January 1, 2025, to apply for the program.
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