Kentucky’s Office of Medical Cannabis received 4,998 applications for medical marijuana business permits and collected more than $27 million in licensing fees in July and August.
The office received nearly half the applications in the last four days before the Aug. 31 deadline.
Nearly 4,100 of the applications were for the 48 available MMJ dispensary licenses.
The remainder of the applications were for cultivator, processor or safety compliance facilities.
Initial application fees, which are not refundable, ranged from $3,000 to $20,000.
Licenses, expected to be issued this year, will be awarded through an October lottery to applicants that clear the screening process.
The MMJ program is set to launch in 2025.
Some are worried that cannabis multistate operators are stacking applications to improve their chances of being selected.
Those concerns prompted:
- The Kentucky chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws to clarify the state’s licensing process and “reaffirm the program’s commitment to fairness and transparency.“
- Gov. Andy Beshear to ensure applicants they all will get “a fair shot.”
“When we launched this program, our goal was to ensure that our licensing process was transparent and provided everyone a fair shot at being a part of this new, exciting industry,” Beshear said during a news conference, according to Paducah TV station WPSD.
“Today, the results are clear. The incredible interest in this process, especially among Kentuckians, is proof that this program has met that goal and is set up for success now and moving forward.”
With only four MMJ dispensary licenses to be issued per region, competition for permits is stiff.
Applications in Region 7, which includes Lyon and Caldwell counties, accounted for 369 license applications (9% of the total) and in Region 8, covering West Kentucky, submitted 301 applications (7%), WPSD reported.
Only one dispensary is permitted in each county, except for Jefferson and Fayette counties, which each are allowed two dispensaries.
