FRANKFORT, Ky. — Barring a last-minute legal setback, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear’s plan to decriminalize marijuana for medical reasons goes into effect on Sunday.
The governor signed an executive order allowing possession of medical marijuana on Nov. 15, and set Jan. 1 as the day it would go into effect.
However, the order will not be a free-for-all, as there are a number of conditions that must be met in order for someone avoid a criminal charge.
Under the governor’s order, Kentuckians will be able to possess up to 8 ounces of properly prescribed and purchased medical marijuana, as long as they have been diagnosed with one of 21 qualifying conditions.
- Cannabis must be bought in the United States of America in a state where the purchase is legal and regulated. Kentuckians will need to keep their receipt.
- The amount a person can purchase and possess at any one time must not exceed 8 ounces, which is the difference between a misdemeanor and a felony in Kentucky.
- Each Kentuckian must also have a certification from a licensed health care provider that shows that the individual has been diagnosed with at least one of 21 medical conditions. A copy of the certification must be retained.
Those with medical marijuana must save their receipts and a doctor’s order to prove that the marijuana was properly prescribed and purchased.
Qualifying conditions include:
- cancer
- amytrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) or Lou Gehrig’s disease
- epilepsy
- intractable seizures
- Parkinson’s disease
- Crohn’s disease
- multiple sclerosis
- sickle cell anemia
- severe and chronic pain
- post traumatic stress disorder
- cachexia or wasting syndrome
- neuropathies
- severe arthritis
- hepatitis C
- fibromyalgia
- intractable pain
- muscular dystrophy
- Huntington’s disease
- human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS)
- glaucoma
- a terminal illness
