Speakeasy Dispensary in Lexington set to open Thursday – WLKY
Kentucky’s medical cannabis program is officially up and running.
Gov. Andy Beshear on Wednesday marked major milestones in Madison County and Lexington as the state moves closer to getting medical marijuana into the hands of patients who qualify.
Behind a locked door and the soft beep of a security system, one of the state’s first dispensaries is preparing to open — not a speakeasy from the Prohibition era, but a tightly regulated medical cannabis operation.
“After a long year of setting up this program in a safe, regulated way, starting tomorrow morning, medical cannabis is going to be available in Lexington, Kentucky,” Beshear said.
Speakeasy Dispensary is set to open on Thursday, becoming one of the first medical cannabis dispensaries to operate in the commonwealth.
“It’s going to provide relief to folks suffering from chronic pain that might otherwise turn to opioids, to folks that sacrificed for our country and now carry the scars of PTSD, [and] cancer patients who want to find pain relief that doesn’t have the other side effects,” he said.
Medical marijuana became legal in Kentucky last year. Since then, the state has licensed 81 medical cannabis businesses, including cultivators, processors, dispensaries and safety compliance facilities. More than 17,000 Kentuckians have already been approved for a medical cannabis card.
At Speakeasy, patients will check in before placing orders inside the dispensary.
“Patients are going to order right here,” said Robert Winn, who works at the dispensary. “Once the order is processed, it sends the information to the back where our fulfillment area is.”
Sales begin Thursday, but options will be limited at first. Only flower products will be available initially, with additional products expected in the coming weeks.
“As the processors come online, we’ll start to see edibles on the market,” Winn said. “By mid-March, you’ll start to see cartridge options.”
Beyond patient care, state leaders say the program is also creating jobs. The Lexington dispensary has already hired 25 employees and plans to expand its staff to about 40.
“It’s just another industry that now we can grow here in Kentucky, that can help put food on the table for our families,” Beshear said.
About a half hour south of Lexington, Natural State Green-Grass Cannaco also celebrated its ribbon-cutting in Richmond.
It is the first Tier 3 cultivator in the state and will supply medical cannabis to dispensaries.
Speakeasy Dispensary will be open from 10 a.m. until 8 p.m.
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