Kentucky governor urges including 15 more conditions to medical marijuana program
Kentucky's medical marijuana law won't take effect for almost a year, but the governor is already trying to get it expanded.
The legislature passed Senate Bill 47 last year, legalizing medical cannabis for people with qualifying conditions.
There are currently only seven conditions that qualify: cancer, PTSD and more. >> Read the full list of conditions here
Gov. Andy Beshear spoke Thursday during his Team Kentucky update, saying he already wants to see it available to more people. Watch the update in the player above.
The governor said two independent advisory boards, including one created by the general assembly, have recommended expanding the list by these 15 conditions:
- ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease
- Parkinson's disease
- Chron's disease
- Sickle cell anemia
- Cachexia or wasting syndrome
- Neuropathies
- Severe arthritis
- Hepatitis C (only one group voted yes on this one)
- Fibromyalgia
- Muscular dystrophy
- Huntington's disease
- HIV
- AIDS
- Glaucoma
- Terminal illness
He said that would make it available to an additional 437,000 people.
For them to be included, legislation would need to be approved by the General Assembly.
On Thursday, Beshear also announced the first 10 regulations of the medical cannabis program have been established, and he said more information about them can be found on this website: .
He also announced that a data and tracking system for the program has been established.
SB 47 goes into effect on Jan. 1, 2025, but the governor also already has an executive order in place that gives access to medical marijuana to some Kentuckians who purchase it legally in other states.