NICHOLASVILLE, Ky. (LEX 18) — With less than three months until medical marijuana becomes legal in Kentucky, the first medical cannabis license has been awarded to a hemp testing lab in central Kentucky.
KCA Labs took us inside its facility in Nicholasville, where LEX 18's Evelyn Schultz learned about the vital role it will play in marijuana safety.
All medical marijuana will have to be tested at a facility like this one before eligible Kentuckians can buy it as dispensaries.
The company's scientific director, Richard Sams, helped found KCA Labs in 2019. Five years later, the company is taking on a new venture.
"Well, it's really exciting," said Sams. "I'm happy Kentucky is moving in this direction, and we're really happy to be a part of it."
Sams says requiring marijuana testing for potency and contaminants, like pesticides and heavy metals, will make sure the products are safe for Kentuckians who qualify.
"Safety is the focus of what we do," said Sams. "I think it's really important for us to provide that testing service so the end user can rest assured the product they're consuming meets the state's requirements."
KCA Labs currently has 2,000 clients and employs 18 people. Sams told LEX 18 they expect to expand their team of scientists as the state's medical marijuana program grows.
Medical marijuana officially becomes legal in Kentucky on Jan. 1st, 2025. Licenses for cultivators and processors will be issued during a lottery on Oct. 28th.
The lottery for dispensary licenses will likely happen in November.
There is no lottery for labs because there is no limit to those licenses.
