{"id":373566,"date":"2016-03-31T21:35:22","date_gmt":"2016-04-01T02:35:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-law\/state\/kentucky-law\/kentucky-marijuana-laws.html"},"modified":"2024-08-08T15:09:39","modified_gmt":"2024-08-08T20:09:39","slug":"kentucky-marijuana-laws","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/state\/kentucky-law\/kentucky-marijuana-laws.html","title":{"rendered":"Kentucky Marijuana Laws"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Kentucky Marijuana Laws<\/h1>\n
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\n By Kit Yona, M.A.<\/a> | Legally reviewed by Melissa Bender, Esq.<\/a>\n | Last updated\n
\n \n <\/i>\n Legally Reviewed\n <\/summary>\n\n
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This article has been written and reviewed for legal accuracy, clarity, and style by FindLaw\u2019s team of legal writers and attorneys<\/a> and in accordance with our editorial standards<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n\n

\n \n <\/i>\n Fact-Checked\n <\/summary>\n\n
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The last updated date refers to the last time this article was reviewed by FindLaw or one of our contributing authors<\/a>. We make every effort to keep our articles updated. For information regarding a specific legal issue affecting you, please contact an attorney in your area<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n<\/section>\n

After years of resisting any marijuana legalization, lawmakers in Kentucky agreed to pass legislation that would allow the creation of a medical marijuana program. Senate Bill 47 became law on March 31, 2023, signed by Gov. Andy Beshear.<\/p>\r\n

Marijuana, also known as cannabis, remains a controlled substance under federal and state law. The Office of Medical Cannabis<\/a>, part of the Kentucky Cabinet of Health and Family Services, will implement and oversee the medical cannabis program.<\/p>\r\n

Adult-use recreational marijuana remains illegal in Kentucky.<\/p>\r\n

With the changing marijuana laws in Kentucky, it’s important to understand what’s legal and what’s not. We’ll examine the framework for the new program, the laws in effect as of July 2024, and how this massive change came to be.<\/p>\r\n

This article will tell you what you need to know about the evolving landscape of Kentucky marijuana laws.<\/p>\r\n

Kentucky Marijuana Laws: What’s Still Illegal<\/h2>\r\n

Before discussing the new rules in Kentucky, we should clarify that medical patients still won’t be able to use marijuana products on federal land. Marijuana is still a Schedule I drug<\/a> according to the federal Controlled Substances Act (CSA)<\/a>. While the buzz is that the federal classification might also be changing<\/a>, avoid taking chances until there’s confirmation.<\/p>\r\n

Recreational marijuana for personal use remains illegal. Possession of even a tiny amount of cannabis by a non-patient is a misdemeanor that carries up to 45 days in jail and a fine. Louisville has opted to decriminalize<\/a> offenses that involve small amounts of marijuana, but this is the exception rather than the norm.<\/p>\r\n

Medical marijuana patients have been able to possess up to 8 ounces of medical cannabis bought legally in other states since 2022. And since Jan. 1, 2025, Kentucky medical marijuana patients can buy cannabis products in state as well as use and have them legally.<\/p>\r\n

Medical marijuana, derived from cannabis, is different from cannabidiol<\/a> (CBD oil), which comes from hemp. The 2018 federal Farm Bill removed CBD oil from the Controlled Substances Act. Many use CBD oil for health benefits and to ease certain medical conditions. CBD contains less than 0.3 percent THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana that provides the "high," and is legal in Kentucky.<\/p>\r\n

Medical Marijuana Laws in Kentucky<\/h2>\r\n

The exact details of what will be legal for medical marijuana patients in 2025 haven’t been finalized as of July 2024. Still, some information has already been released by the Kentucky Office of Medical Cannabis and appears in the governor’s executive orders<\/a>. To be eligible to become a medical marijuana patient, a patient must have a written certification by a licensed physician that confirms the patient suffers from one or more of the following qualifying medical conditions:<\/p>\r\n