Verify · Kentucky
Kentucky medical cannabis rules: what to know and how to check
Kentucky allows medical cannabis only. To buy it, you need a qualifying condition, a written certification from a medical cannabis practitioner and a state registry ID card. You can buy only from a dispensary licensed by the Office of Medical Cannabis (OMC). Smoking cannabis is not allowed. Check the dispensary on OMC’s list before you buy.
Checked against the Office of Medical Cannabis (OMC) and Kentucky law on . Next review: .
CHSA does not test, certify or endorse products or retailers.
Official source
Kentucky’s cannabis regulator: Office of Medical Cannabis (OMC)
- Check a business license Official list of licensed medical cannabis sellers
- See official recalls No public recall list found
- File a complaint Report an unlicensed business or a problem
- Regulator website Laws, rules and news
These links go to the regulator’s own website. CHSA does not copy or host license records, so you always see the official, current version.
What’s different in Kentucky
Kentucky allows medical cannabis only. Senate Bill 47 made it legal starting January 1, 2025. Using cannabis outside the medical program is still against Kentucky law. The Office of Medical Cannabis (OMC), part of the Cabinet for Health and Family Services, runs the program.
To get a card, you must live in Kentucky, have one of the qualifying conditions, get a written certification from a medical cannabis practitioner, and apply online. A card costs $25 and lasts one year. Visitors 21 and older with a medical card from another state can buy a limited amount with that card and proof of diagnosis.
Only OMC-licensed dispensaries may sell medical cannabis. OMC's list showed 24 dispensaries open as of August 28, 2026. Cities and counties may ban cannabis businesses.
Smoking cannabis is not allowed, even with a card. Allowed forms include edibles, oils, tinctures, vapes and raw plant material. Only cardholders 21 and older may buy vapes, and vaping in public places is not allowed. You may not drive under the influence or keep cannabis within reach while driving. OMC warns that Kentucky cardholders who buy cannabis in another state may face law enforcement action.
Hemp products are different. Intoxicating hemp products, like delta-8 THC, are regulated by the state Department for Public Health. They can't be sold to anyone under 21.
Kentucky medical cannabis rules at a glance
These are the main state rules for medical cannabis. Kentucky has no adult-use market. Numbers in brackets link to the law or OMC’s guidance.
| Topic | The rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum age | Medical use only, with a registry ID card. Patients under 18 can qualify, but they may not buy or have cannabis; a parent or legal guardian must be their caregiver. Caregivers and visiting patients must be 21 or older. Only cardholders 21 and older may buy vapes. You must be 18 to enter a dispensary. | Source [1] OMC patient and caregiver FAQ; KRS 218B.025(2); KRS 218B.110(2)(c), (2)(g) |
| How much you can have | A patient may keep up to a 30-day supply at home and carry up to a 10-day supply. A 30-day supply is 112 grams of raw plant material, 28 grams of concentrate or 3,900 mg of THC in products like edibles. A 10-day supply is 37.5 grams, 9.5 grams or 1,300 mg. A patient may buy a 30-day supply every 25 days. Away from home, keep it in the dispensary container and carry your card. | Source [1] OMC patient and caregiver FAQ; KRS 218B.025(1), (5), (6); 915 KAR 2:020 Section 1 |
| Growing at home | Not allowed. Only businesses licensed by OMC as cultivators or producers may grow cannabis. | Source [2] KRS 218B.035(1)(i); OMC general FAQ |
| Delivery | Allowed. Licensed dispensaries may deliver to registered patients and caregivers, only to the Kentucky address on file, between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m. The driver must check the registry card of the person who ordered, who signs a receipt. | Source [3] 915 KAR 1:080 Section 2; KRS 218B.110(3) |
| Required lab tests | A lab licensed by OMC (a safety compliance facility) must test each batch before a dispensary may sell it. Tests cover THC and other cannabinoids, terpenes, leftover solvents, pesticides, heavy metals, microbes, mycotoxins, yeast and mold, water activity and vitamin E acetate. Product that fails must be destroyed. | Source [4] 915 KAR 1:110 Sections 1-2; KRS 218B.110(2)(b) |
| Labels | Labels must list the strain, net weight, ingredients, THC and CBD amounts, terpenes, the grower and processor with license numbers, the batch number, key dates, the testing lab and test date, and an expiration date. Raw plant material must say "not intended for consumption by smoking." The dispensary adds a sticker with its name, license number and phone number. | Source [5] 915 KAR 1:100 Sections 2(2)(d)-(e), 3 |
| Packaging | Packages must be child-resistant, take at least two steps to open, be tamper-evident and opaque, and carry the state's navy blue cannabis symbol, a keep-out-of-reach-of-children warning and the National Poison Control phone number. Packages may not look like food brands or use cartoons that appeal to kids. | Source [5] 915 KAR 1:100 Sections 1, 2 |
| Edible THC limits | Edibles, oils and tinctures may have no more than 10 mg of delta-9 THC per serving. Raw plant material may not be over 35% delta-9 THC, and other products not over 70%. Products with vitamin E acetate are banned. | Source [6] KRS 218B.110(2)(e); 915 KAR 1:100 Section 3(2)(q) |
| Poison control | Kentucky Poison Control Center: 1-800-222-1222 . Free, confidential, 24/7. Call 911 if someone has trouble breathing or won’t wake up. |
Kentucky recalls
We did not find a public recall list on OMC’s website. State rules say a dispensary must report product problems to OMC, keep a recall plan, and tell cardholders if recalled cannabis reached them. 15 CHSA does not monitor Kentucky recalls yet. If you think a product made you sick, call Poison Help, then tell OMC.
How Kentucky compares
Compare Kentucky with the other states CHSA covers.
Sources
- FAQs: patient and caregiver questions
- KRS 218B.035 (Conduct not protected; driving under the influence)
- 915 KAR 1:080 (Transportation and delivery of medicinal cannabis)
- 915 KAR 1:110 (Medicinal cannabis testing)
- 915 KAR 1:100 (Packaging and labeling of medicinal cannabis)
- KRS 218B.110 (Dispensary and dispensary agent)
- Kentucky Medical Cannabis Program (home page)
- Kentucky Medical Cannabis Laws
- Patients and caregivers: overview
- FAQs: general questions
- KRS 218B.025 (Registered and visiting qualified patients; designated caregivers; possession limits)
- 915 KAR 2:020 (Supply limits and equivalency formula)
- Find a Dispensary (open dispensaries and Dispensary Directory)
- Licensees (medical cannabis businesses)
- 915 KAR 1:070 (Dispensary)
- KRS 218B.130 (Local government ordinances regulating or prohibiting cannabis businesses)
- Transparency: forms (complaint form)
- Medical Cannabis Advisory Pamphlet
- Hemp-Derived Cannabinoid Products
- Poison Help — About us
CHSA does not test, certify or endorse products or retailers.