LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) – Voters in more than 50 cities and counties said “yes” to medical cannabis businesses, including 11 in WKYT’s viewing area: Anderson, Bourbon, Clark, Clay, Jackson, Knox, Menifee, Mercer, Morgan. , Scott and Woodford.

“Every year we went to Frankfurt, we received fewer no’s than the year before. So we always knew the time would come when the dominoes would completely fall,” said Matthew Bratcher, executive director of Kentucky NORML.

The Kentucky General Assembly passed a bill last year legalizing medical marijuana. It will be promulgated on January 1, 2025.

“I’m not surprised at all that everyone wants to have a cannabis business in their area.”

But voters still had to decide where businesses, like growers and dispensaries, would open their doors. So 53 cities and 53 counties let voters decide whether businesses should be allowed to open in their communities, and it was a yes vote from all of them.

“With large cultivation companies, we can see up to 100 jobs, or even more. Processors will need a lot of staff. The dispensaries are going to need a lot of people. These are good jobs with benefits that probably pay a lot better than some of your entry-level positions. This will be great for our workforce and the communities in which they operate.

The executive director of Kentucky STANDARDMatthew Bratcher has been campaigning for this change for years.

“We have a very high number of disability cases here in Kentucky, as well as higher rates of cancer and other problems. This is really going to help bring down some of those numbers.

Kentucky has already begun distributing licenses to medical cannabis businesses through a lottery system, including Limestone Processing.

“There were 290 people in our category. Only 10 were chosen and there was one of us. By definition, we are really lucky and we feel lucky,” said Gary Hilliard, co-owner of Limestone Processing.

If you have a qualifying chronic illness, such as epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, or post-traumatic stress disorder, you can become a medical cannabis cardholder.

“Get people back on the path to health,” Bratcher said.

Kentucky NORML will host enrollment fairs in various counties beginning in January.

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