Kentucky Governor Celebrates Medical Marijuana ‘Milestone,’ With First Legal Plants Now Being Grown In State

The governor of Kentucky is touting “another milestone” in the state’s
forthcoming medical marijuana program, with a licensed cultivator producing
“the first medical cannabis inventory in Kentucky history.”

Gov. Andy Beshear (D) previewed the development late last month, stating
that he expected to see medical marijuana growers “putting seed in the
ground really soon,” while projecting that patients will have access to
cannabis before the year’s end.

Now, with the launch of operations at the cultivator Armory Kentucky LLC,
the state has gotten closer to the goal of putting medical marijuana in
patients’ hands.

“This administration made a commitment to Kentuckians suffering from
cancer, PTSD, multiple sclerosis and other eligible conditions, and I am
proud we are making progress to deliver safe, affordable access to medical
cannabis,” Beshear said in a press release on Tuesday.

“Through work with the General Assembly to move up business licensing by
six full months and providing licensees with the tools they need to get up
and running, we are closer than ever to providing Kentuckians with
life-changing relief,” he said.

The governor’s office said that other cannabis licensees, including
processors and testing labs, are expected to become operational within the
coming weeks.

“We are pleased to see the progress that has been made,” Cannon Armstrong,
executive director of the Kentucky Office of Medical Cannabis, said. “We
look forward to working with all of our other licensees to get them up and
operational as soon as possible.”

Gov. Andy Beshear announced today that Kentucky’s Medical Cannabis Program
has reached another milestone as Armory Kentucky LLC, a Tier II cultivator
based in Mayfield, introduced the first medical cannabis inventory in
Kentucky history.

Read more: https://t.co/oD0tA3Ie0L pic.twitter.com/oIFOlx0hwy

— Governor Andy Beshear (@GovAndyBeshear) July 15, 2025

The governor recently said he acknowledges that “it’s taken longer than we
would have liked” to stand up the industry since he signed medical
marijuana legalization into law in 2023.

In recognition of that delayed implementation, he recently signed an
executive order to waive renewal fees for patients who get their cards this
year so that they don’t get charged again before retailers open. And
another order he signed providing protections for qualified patients who
obtain medical marijuana outside of Kentucky “will stay in place.”

Beshear separately announced in May that the state has launched a new
online directory that lets people see where medical cannabis dispensaries
will be opening near them.

He emphasized that the state has been working to deliver access to patients
“at the earliest possible date,” and that involved expediting the licensing
process. The governor in January also ceremonially awarded the
commonwealth’s first medical marijuana cards.


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Meanwhile, the governor sent a letter to Kentucky’s congressional
delegation in January, “urging them to take decisive action to protect the
constitutional rights of our law abiding medical cannabis patients” by
repealing the federal ban on gun possession by people who use marijuana.

That came after bipartisan Kentucky senators filed legislation that
similarly called on the state’s federal representatives to take corrective
action, which Beshear said he supports but would like to see even more
sweeping change on the federal level.

The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
warned Kentucky residents late last year that, if they choose to
participate in the state’s medical marijuana program, they will be
prohibited from buying or possessing firearms under federal law.

As far as the implementation of the state’s medical cannabis law goes,
Beshear said in his State of the Commonwealth address in January that patients
will have access to cannabis sometime “this year.” He also later shared
tips for patients to find a doctor and get registered to participate in the
cannabis program.

Health practitioners have been able to start assessing patients for
recommendations since the beginning of December.

While there currently aren’t any up-and-running dispensaries available to
patients, Beshear has further affirmed that an executive order he signed in
2023 will stay in effect in the interim, protecting patients who possess
medical cannabis purchased at out-of-state licensed retailers.

During last year’s November election, Kentucky also saw more than 100
cities and counties approve local ordinances to allow medical cannabis
businesses in their jurisdictions. The governor said the election results
demonstrate that “the jury is no longer out” on the issue that is clearly
supported by voters across partisan and geographical lines.

*Photo courtesy of Mike Latimer.*

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First Legal Plants Now Being Grown In State appeared first on Marijuana
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