(LEX 18) — Kentucky's medical marijuana program is moving forward with licensed companies breaking ground this month, according to Gov. Andy Beshear.
The governor says the state is on track to have medical marijuana products available for patients by late summer or early fall, though he cautions that timeline is an estimate.
"Right now, we are hoping for late summer and early fall to potentially have product that's out there. But that is an estimate," Beshear said.
The facilities being built in Kentucky will resemble those already operating in neighboring Ohio, featuring extensive equipment and technology. LEX 18 visited one of those facilities earlier this year.
"As your visit to Ohio showed, these are massive facilities," Beshear said. "This is millions of dollars of equipment. It is a lot of science and a lot of technology that goes into it."
Despite the significant investment and construction required, Kentucky is implementing its medical marijuana program relatively quickly compared to other states, according to the governor.
"We're moving faster than just about any other state. We're one of the only states that hasn't had the courts join or enter an order stopping the ramp up of all of those businesses," Beshear explained.
The governor attributes this smooth implementation to Kentucky's patient-centered approach to its medical marijuana program.
"We are working as fast as we can to get safe, reliable medical cannabis on the shelves for those who qualify for a card," Beshear said.
However, the Kentucky Auditor's Office will be looking into Kentucky's Office Of Medical Cannabis. On Thursday, Auditor Allison Ball announced an investigation into the office and its execution of the Kentucky Medical Cannabis Program.
“My office has continued to receive complaints about how the Office of Medical Cannabis administered the lottery process for awarding medical cannabis business licenses,” Ball said.
“Kentuckians should have confidence that state offices operate with transparency and integrity, and my office is committed to ensuring those standards.”
The auditor’s office will begin its investigation by examining OMC’s business license application and award processes, according to a press release from Ball's Office.
