How To Get a Medical Marijuana Card in Kentucky

Among the other states that have legalized medical cannabis usage, one of the most recent ones is Kentucky. After signing Senate Bill 47 into law on March 31, 2023, it took nearly two years for the Kentucky Medical Cannabis Program to launch officially on January 1, 2025, following the creation of the Patient and Caregiver Registry Portal.

It should be noted that recreational cannabis has not been legalized in the state of Kentucky as of now. Currently, the only way of obtaining cannabis legally is through this medical program, which makes it necessary for all patients to get themselves registered for the same.

The medical cannabis program for Kentucky is administered by the Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS) through the Office of Medical Cannabis.

The Medical Cannabis Office within the Cabinet for Health and Family Services oversees the Kentucky medical cannabis program, including patient enrollment, caregiver cards, practitioner certification, and dispensary regulation.

For more information regarding the medical cannabis program:

• Website: kymedcan.ky.gov 
• Patient and Caregiver Registry: kymedcan.ky.gov 
• Physical address: Cabinet for Health and Family Services, 275 E Main Street, Frankfort, KY 40621

To register and obtain your Kentucky Medical Cannabis Registry Identification Card, you need to satisfy ALL of the following criteria:

• You must be a resident of Kentucky and provide proof of residency
• You must be at least 18 years of age (younger applicants are eligible with certain conditions)
• Your illness is classified as one of the qualifying medical conditions, as determined by a licensed Kentucky medical cannabis practitioner
• You do not have a felony conviction that would make you ineligible for obtaining your Kentucky Medical Cannabis Registry Identification Card

Practitioners certified by the state can only be physicians (MD or DO) or APRN providers who have the right to prescribe controlled substances in Kentucky. In Kentucky, the practitioners who are not allowed to certify patients are physician assistants.

For a practitioner to be eligible for certification, he/she should:

• Be registered in his/her particular board (the State Board of Medical Licensure for physicians; Board of Nursing for APRNs)
• Be registered in the Office of Medical Cannabis in the state’s practitioner registry
• Establish a genuine doctor-patient relationship with the patient before certification

Kentucky currently recognizes the following conditions for medical cannabis access:

• Any type or form of cancer
• Chronic, severe, intractable, or debilitating pain
• Epilepsy or any other intractable seizure disorder
• Multiple sclerosis, muscle spasms, or spasticity
• Chronic nausea or cyclical vomiting syndrome
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
• Any other medical condition or disease approved by the Kentucky Center for Cannabis

The Kentucky Center for Cannabis has the authority to add new qualifying conditions over time. New conditions may also be added through legislative action or regulatory review.

Step 1: Schedule an In-Person Appointment With a Registered Practitioner

The first step involves finding a doctor (MD/DO) or APRN licensed under the Office of Medical Cannabis in Kentucky with a genuine relationship as your healthcare provider. As was stated above, this is only possible through making a physical appointment and not through telemedicine.

The doctor will go through your medical file, review your eligibility for the qualifying condition, and certify you if you meet the criteria in a written statement on the prescribed form by the Office of Medical Cannabis.

Your appointment with the provider may be made up to 60 days before submitting your application to the registry program. However, do not wait too long, as your certification expires after 60 days.

Step 2: Gather Your Required Documents

Before filing online using the portal, make sure that you have:

• A written certificate by your registered Kentucky medical cannabis physician
• Name, address, and contact details of your registered physician
• Valid identification, either a Kentucky driver’s license or an ID issued by the state government (for residency and identification purposes)
• Signature page, which has to be notarized – in Kentucky, there is a need for applicants to notarize their signed commitment not to provide medical cannabis to any person who is not entitled to have such under Kentucky’s statutes. The signature page can be accessed through kymedcan.ky.gov.
• Acknowledgment to provide personal information to the dispensaries and law enforcement officers licensed in Kentucky
• In case of designation of a caregiver: full name, address, contact information (including email), and DOB of up to two caregivers

Step 3: Apply Through the Patient and Caregiver Registry Portal

Go to kymedcan.ky.gov and register for the Patient and Caregiver Registry Portal. You can apply either online or using paper application forms; the former is preferred and more convenient. Fill out the application form, provide your documents, and complete the program attestation questions.

Step 4: Pay the Application Fee

The state registration cost per card is $25. Kentucky has one of the cheapest medical marijuana registries in the US in this regard. You must pay the application fee via the portal. This applies equally to caregivers, whose cost per card is also $25.

Step 5: Wait for Review and Receive Your Card

After you submit your completed application form:

• The Cabinet will notify you of acceptance within 15 days.
• A response of whether to accept or reject will be made within 30 days after acceptance.
• If accepted, you will receive your digital identification card within 5 days of acceptance.

Your card will be issued in digital form and can be downloaded to your computer or phone. The validity period is one year starting from the date of issue, except where your certifying health care provider sets an earlier expiry date.

If your application is rejected, you may appeal the decision.

When you have an authentic registry card, you will be able to buy, carry, and consume medical marijuana items within any authorized dispensary of Kentucky. When you visit any dispensary, take along your registry ID card and photo ID.

Allowable Products

Kentucky allows the following medical cannabis product types:

• Raw plant material (flower)
• Edibles
• Oils
• Tinctures
• Vaporizer products (vapes)

Age limit: The use and/or purchase of any vaping product by registered members under 21 years old is strictly forbidden, irrespective of their registration.

Smoking prohibition: It is against the law in Kentucky to smoke any plant material. Plant materials that have been packaged within the Commonwealth should bear the notation “Not for consumption by smoking.”

Possession and Supply Limits

Kentucky uses a supply-based possession system rather than a simple weight limit:

In-state qualified individuals are allowed to carry their cannabis supply if their cannabis is still in its sealed package and they are coming straight from the dispensary. The maximum quantity of cannabis that one can have is ten days’ worth of cannabis.

Home Cultivation

Growing your own marijuana in the state of Kentucky is prohibited, even if you are a registered patient.

A patient may designate up to two caregivers to assist with obtaining and administering medical cannabis. Designated caregivers must:

• Be 21 years of age or older
• Be a Kentucky resident
• Have no disqualifying felony offenses
• Submit a notarized signature page agreeing to serve as the patient’s caregiver and pledging not to divert cannabis to unauthorized individuals

Caregivers apply through the same registry portal after the patient’s application has been approved. They will need the patient’s registry identification card number to complete their application

Individuals below the age of 18 years are eligible for a medical cannabis card issued by Kentucky, provided that certain criteria are met:

• Written permission by a custodial parent or guardian acting as the minor’s caregiver is required
• Proof of medical condition as per the opinion of a second physician who is not involved in prescribing the medical cannabis card
• Total control over all matters concerning the minor’s use of medicinal marijuana rests with the parents or guardians

Upon reaching 18 years, the individual is permitted to obtain the license independently.

Kentucky offers a Visiting Qualified Patient card for out-of-state medical marijuana cardholders. To apply for this card, you must:

• Be at least 21 years old
• Have no disqualifying felony convictions
• Possess a valid out-of-state medical marijuana card
• Provide documentation of a diagnosis of a qualifying medical condition

This visiting card allows out-of-state patients to purchase at Kentucky dispensaries during their time in the state.

They remain valid for a year. The renewals take the same procedure as the registrations done at the website kymedcan.ky.gov. In contrast to the initial certification, the renewal certifications can be done through the telemedicine option; hence, there is no need to meet the practitioner in person annually. It does not necessarily have to be the same practitioner issuing your first certification.

There will always be an update in the notarized signatures and practitioner certifications in the renewal period.

• Kentucky’s program just went into effect in January 2025 – it is among the newest programs in the nation.
• Initial certifications must occur in person – telemedicine is available for renewals only
• Applications must be made within 60 days after the practitioner certifies the patient.
• Each application requires a signed, notarized signature page
• Physician Assistants cannot sign certificates, only MDs/DOs/APRNs
• Inhalation smoking is banned even for those with cards.
• Vaporizers can only be used by cardholders who are 21 years old and older.
• The growing of marijuana at home is banned.
• The possession of recreational marijuana is outlawed in the state.
• Cardholders from other states may apply for the Visiting Qualified Patient Card.