FRANKFORT — Kentucky lawmakers questioned the affordability of medical cannabis and whether the state's program is providing enough opportunities for Kentucky farmers during Thursday's meeting of the Interim Joint Committee on Agriculture.
Committee Co-Chair Rep. Myron Dossett, R-Pembroke, said he wants to ensure Kentucky farmers benefit from the state's medical cannabis industry and are treated fairly through the licensing and regulatory process.
“I want to make sure that our Kentucky farmers were fairly treated through the process of putting the regulations and the licensures together because I cannot think of anyone I have more faith and trust than in our Kentucky farmers of doing something like this,” Dossett said.
Medical cannabis patient Ricky Wayne Hunt of Hopkinsville told lawmakers he has lived with severe pain since being diagnosed with spinal cord cancer at age 10. Hunt said he contacted Dossett after experiencing "sticker shock" over the price of medical cannabis in Kentucky, noting it costs less in neighboring states.
“I kind of had sticker shock when I first went to the dispensaries here,” Hunt said, adding that he hopes prices decline over time.
Sam Flynn, special adviser to Gov. Andy Beshear and chief deputy general counsel for the Office of Medical Cannabis, said Kentucky's program is still in its early stages compared with neighboring states.
“Five of our seven surrounding states had a medical cannabis program before we did,” Flynn said. “Several of them had an adult-use program before we did. And so, their markets are more mature. They produce more cannabis and therefore the price is going to be significantly lower.”
Flynn said Kentucky continues to license cultivation and processing facilities and expects prices to decrease as the market expands.
“I think what you'll see is that price is going to come down and ultimately level off at a stable price that people can certainly afford,” he said.
According to the Office of Medical Cannabis, the state received 584 applications for 16 available cultivator licenses. Applicants must complete an application, participate in a lottery if qualified and pass inspections before receiving final approval.
Flynn and Rachel Roberts, executive director of the Kentucky Cannabis Industry Alliance, told lawmakers Kentucky's medical cannabis products are subject to strict state requirements, including indoor cultivation, security measures, inventory tracking and laboratory testing.
“Everything here is grown in Kentucky. It's tested in Kentucky. It meets the standards that you as the lawmakers put in place,” Roberts said. “And that's the kind of medicine I want our Kentucky patients using.”
Flynn said Kentucky law requires all medical cannabis to be grown indoors to ensure a safe and secure medical-grade product.
Sen. Matthew Deneen, R-Elizabethtown, raised concerns expressed by constituents about the privacy of medical cannabis cardholders. Flynn said patient information is shared only with law enforcement agencies to determine whether applicants have disqualifying felony convictions.
Rep. Ryan Bivens, R-Hodgenville, questioned whether the current system provides sufficient value for patients facing high prices.
“We have got patients that are dealing with higher prices,” Bivens said. “Maybe we just need to can this and open it back up so they can go to other states and buy this because I think we're wasting a whole lot of money.”
Dossett said he wants Kentuckians who need medical cannabis to have affordable access and expressed concern that high costs could drive some patients to seek illegal alternatives.
“I feel that the governor's decision to roll back this so far as allowing these patients who desperately need this help to be able to go out of state, you're leaning to guide them toward the streets and purchasing something illegal because of the costs,” Dossett said. “So, we do want to be very cautious about that.”