With Kentucky’s medical marijuana industry set to officially launch in just a few weeks, Governor Andy Beshear and the Office of Medical Cannabis (OMC) revealed the final winners of dispensary business licenses for Jefferson and Fayette counties on Monday. These two counties, home to Louisville and Lexington, were part of a separate lottery due to their larger population size.
The announcement follows three weeks after licenses were drawn for the majority of counties across the Commonwealth. This latest lottery drawing focused on the Kentuckiana and Bluegrass Regions, which collectively serve over 1.7 million people.
During Monday’s announcement, Beshear emphasized the importance of providing safe and affordable access to medical marijuana for Kentuckians with qualifying health conditions like cancer and PTSD.
“It has been a priority to assure those among us that have serious health conditions… that they are able to access it as soon as possible,” Beshear said.
The state received over 4,000 applications for only 48 dispensary licenses, with the Bluegrass and Kentuckiana regions alone accounting for 30% of the total applications.
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Dispensary Winners for Jefferson and Fayette Counties
Fayette and Jefferson counties, due to their dense populations, were each awarded two dispensary licenses:
Fayette County (Lexington):
- DHK KY LLC
- ZenLeaf, Inc.
Jefferson County (Louisville):
- Chung Woo Kim, LLC
- Upward Innovations
Winners Across Kentuckiana and Bluegrass Regions
Beyond Fayette and Jefferson counties, eight additional businesses secured licenses in surrounding counties:
Region 1 – Bluegrass (Counties near Fayette):
- Canntucky Ventures LLC – Frankfort, Franklin County
- Garry Kort – Richmond, Madison County*
- Robert Hoogendyk – Richmond, Madison County
- Thriveblue LLC – Georgetown, Scott County
Region 2 – Kentuckiana (Counties near Jefferson):
- DNP-DH KY, LLC – Shepherdsville, Bullitt County*
- KY PRISTINE VISTAS LLC – Shepherdsville, Bullitt County
- DJS KY LLC – Shelbyville, Shelby County
- Pinnacle Path LLC – Shepherdsville, Bullitt County
If multiple businesses were selected for a single county, the company marked with an asterisk () was given priority to operate there.*
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Each winning business now has 15 days to pay the initial $30,000 licensing fee. If a business fails to meet this deadline, it risks forfeiting the license, which would then pass to the next eligible applicant.
The state also clarified that while multiple businesses were chosen for the same counties, only one dispensary will be permitted per county—except in Jefferson and Fayette counties, which have exemptions due to their size.
Kentuckians with qualifying medical conditions can begin applying for medical marijuana cards starting January 1, 2025. Patients will need a written certification from an authorized doctor or nurse practitioner to qualify.
As the state’s medical marijuana program takes shape, both Governor Beshear and the OMC remain committed to patient access and industry stability.
“Because our program is rooted in patient access, it is critical that our medical cannabis business licensing framework ensures… sustainable growth to meet cardholder demand,” Flynn noted.
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This article appears in Dec 4-17, 2024.
