An important milestone in Kentucky’s medical cannabis rollout will be reached this weekend when Louisville’s first medical marijuana dispensary opens its doors in the Highlands neighborhood.
According to a press release from the business, Kentucky Alternative Care will formally open at 2401-B Bardstown Road on Saturday, January 31, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. The company is now the first licensed medical marijuana dispensary in Jefferson County thanks to approval from state regulators with the Kentucky Office of Medical Cannabis.
State-compliant, lab-tested medical cannabis products will be available to registered patients at the dispensary. Kentucky Alternative Care will use a patient-guided model to assist Kentuckians in navigating the state’s medical cannabis program, according to its founders, Dustin Stanley and Dr. Su Kang.
“Our goal is to provide safe, effective, and premium medical cannabis in an environment patients can trust,” Kang said in a statement. Kang is also listed as a dentist with Smile Louisville.
David Yates, the Jefferson County Clerk, praised the dispensary’s opening on social media after attending its ribbon-cutting ceremony earlier this month. Yates, a former Democratic state senator, was a co-sponsor of the legislation that made medical marijuana legal in Kentucky.
The opening in Louisville coincides with the opening of more dispensaries throughout the state. NuEra, Frankfort’s first medical marijuana dispensary, will open on Leonardwood Drive on Friday, January 30. Sales for eligible patients will start at 11 a.m.
Thousands of patients have received medical marijuana cards since Kentucky’s medical cannabis law went into effect more than a year ago. Due to a limited supply, the state’s first dispensary reportedly ran out of merchandise in its first week after opening late last year.
This article appears in Jan 1-31, 2026.