The beginning of medical marijuana sales in Kentucky last month was a huge hit. State patients bought up all of the first local dispensary’s product within only seven days. They stood in long lines to get in the door at the Beaver Dam location, waking up as early as 5 a.m. to be first in the queue.
Now, residents with designated health conditions will have to wait until The Post replenishes its stock mid-way through January. The pot shop, which opened its doors on Dec. 13, is temporarily closed after exhausting its supply of prescription weed.
This dispensary and those that will open in the future are required by law to procure their product from local growers, and they currently can’t keep up with demand. Three other stores, including the Speakeasy Dispensary in Lexington, will hold ribbon-cutting and grand opening ceremonies throughout this month.
Nonetheless, residents are happy that the lengthy process associated with legalization has reached a point where purchases are happening. There are currently approximately 25,000 locals that hold medical cannabis cards.
“You have people here in tears, so happy that we’re finally open, that they can get legal, regulated, medical-grade products for their needs,” said Trip Hoffman, owner of The Post Dispensary, in mid-December. “We were happy to be a part of that.”
Medical cannabis legalization took effect in the state at the beginning of 2025. Those with eligible health conditions waited nearly a year before being able to legally obtain product. The milestone followed Governor Andy Beshear signing legislation permitting the sales into law in early 2023.
“It took other states up to six years to get up and running, but we did it in two while still ensuring a safe, legal process,” stated Beshear on social media Dec. 14.
Kentucky’s first major medical cannabis cultivation facility is currently under construction in Monticello.
Workers started building the US$25-million-dollar complex last spring, and it is expected to open within the next few months. The Post and other soon-to-open dispensaries are currently getting their medical merchandise from small-scale local cultivators like Dark Horse and Farmtucky.
State regulators have issued dozens of business licenses, yet the rollout process progresses slowly.
“This progress reflects a tremendous amount of hard work from teams across the Commonwealth,” Kentucky’s Office of Medical Cannabis said three weeks ago.
Read more: Groundbreaking ceremony held for Kentucky’s first medical cultivation facility
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