Kentucky residents are embracing the state’s new medical cannabis program, and chronic pain has emerged as the number one reason people apply for a marijuana card. According to data obtained by WHAS11 through an open records request, the state’s Office of Medical Cannabis reports that chronic pain leads all conditions for which patients seek a marijuana card, followed by post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), cancer, multiple sclerosis, chronic nausea and seizure disorders.
The Kentucky law tightly limits eligibility for a marijuana card. Only state residents living with at least one of six qualifying conditions can apply. These include cancer of any form, epilepsy and other seizure disorders, chronic or severe pain, multiple sclerosis with muscle spasms or spasticity, PTSD, and chronic nausea or cyclical vomiting syndrome. Patients who meet the criteria can receive a marijuana card that permits them to purchase medical cannabis from licensed dispensaries once they open.
As of September 15, a spokesperson for Governor Andy Beshear’s office confirmed that 13,925 Kentuckians had already been approved for a medical cannabis or marijuana card.
More than 90 of these approvals are for caregivers—individuals who help patients purchase and administer their medicine.
Governor Beshear addressed the rollout at a September 4 Team Kentucky news conference. While dispensaries await products from cultivators and processors, he expects them to be operational by the end of the year. “I think everybody is working as hard and as fast as they can,” he said, emphasizing that officials want to ensure the program is done correctly so every qualifying patient receives a valid marijuana card without unnecessary delays.
For patients, a marijuana card represents more than legal access to cannabis—it can mean relief from chronic pain, improved quality of life, and a safer alternative to opioids. Health advocates believe that a streamlined marijuana card process also reduces stigma and encourages more people with qualifying conditions to seek professional guidance.
Kentucky Health News, an independent news service of the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, reports that interest in the state’s marijuana card program is steadily increasing. As dispensaries open later this year, thousands of approved residents will finally be able to use their marijuana card to legally obtain medical cannabis in the Commonwealth.
