The First Cannabis Cultivator in Kentucky Has Started Production

As Kentucky’s medical cannabis industry begins to become further established, a Tier II cannabis cultivator called Armory Kentucky LLC, located in Mayfield Kentucky, announced that the company’s’ first cannabis crops are the “first crops to be grown under the state’s medical cannabis program,” (1). Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear announced in a press release that Armory Kentucky LLC was able to introduce this inventory after receiving approval from the Kentucky Office of Medical Cannabis for their facility inspection (2).

“This administration made a commitment to Kentuckians suffering from cancer, PTSD, multiple sclerosis and other eligible conditions, and I am proud we are making progress to deliver safe, affordable access to medical cannabis,” said Gov. Andy Beshear in the press release (1,2). “Through work with the General Assembly to move up business licensing by six full months and providing licensees with the tools they need to get up and running, we are closer than ever to providing Kentuckians with life-changing relief.”

Aside from cultivation, additional licensees for Kentucky’s medical cannabis industry, such as processors and testing labs, are anticipated to begin their operations shortly (2). House Bill 829 was signed into law on April 17, 2024, which allowed for medical cannabis licensing to be expedited six months (1,2). Starting on July 1, 2024, the Kentucky Office of Medical Cannabis started accepting applications from potential businesses.

“We are pleased to see the progress that has been made,” said Cannon Armstrong, executive director of the Kentucky Office of Medical Cannabis (2). “We look forward to working with all of our other licensees to get them up and operational as soon as possible.”

The Governor’s press release disclosed that currently the Bluegrass State has 81 licensed businesses, and 400 medical cannabis practitioners have been registered. For the medical cannabis program, 11,000 Kentucky residents have applied and obtained a medical cannabis card, while more than 17,000 have been granted a written certification (1,2).

References

1. Abbott, G. Kentucky’s first medical cannabis cultivator begins operations https://ganjapreneur.com/kentuckys-first-medical-cannabis-cultivator-begins-operations/ (accessed Jul 21, 2025).
2. Ellis, S. Gov. Beshear: Medical Cannabis Program Advances as Cultivator Begins Operations in Kentucky https://www.kentucky.gov/Pages/Activity-stream.aspx?n=GovernorBeshear&prId=2535 (accessed Jul 21, 2025).