FRANKFORT, Ky. (FOX 56) – Gov. Andy Beshear’s executive order provided Kentuckians suffering from a list of medical issues with a new way to manage their pain and symptoms. Some Kentuckians will now have access to medical marijuana.

Beshear’s executive order does not make medical marijuana legal outright but does help protect those with significant medical needs from state-level prosecution.

“A total of 37 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Island allow cannabis for medical use by qualified individuals. In May 2021, Alabama legalized medical cannabis. This year, Mississippi did the same. Our neighboring states of Ohio, Illinois, Missouri and West Virginia have legalized medical cannabis,” reads executive order 2022-798 from Nov. 15, 2022.

What medical conditions qualify for the pardon?

• Amytrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) or Lou Gehrig’s disease
• Cachexia or wasting syndrome
• Cancer
• Crohn’s disease
• Epilepsy
• Fibromyalgia
• Glaucoma
• Hepatitis C
• Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS)
• Huntington’s disease
• Intractable seizures / Intractable pain
• Multiple sclerosis
• Muscular dystrophy
• Neuropathies
• Parkinson’s disease
• Post-traumatic stress disorder
• Sickle cell anemia
• Severe arthritis
• Severe and chronic pain
• Any terminal illness

How do you legally get medical marijuana?

The Kentucky executive order includes the multiple steps needed to receive the medical marijuana pardon. It is a pardon, not a prescription, and only protects the patient from the criminal offense of possession of marijuana.

1. The medical cannabis or product must be purchased legally outside of Kentucky but inside the United States.
2. You should keep your receipt for proof of purchase. This receipt needs to include the place of purchase, the physical place of purchase, and the date of purchase.
3. The amount purchased needs to be the legally purchasable amount for the place you are in, but can’t be more than 8 ounces.
4. Have a written certification from a medical provider saying you have been diagnosed with one of the approved medical conditions. The certification needs to include the patient’s name, date of birth, home address, and telephone number. The healthcare provider’s name, address, telephone number, and professional license number. A statement from the medical provider confirming a provider-patient relationship. Lastly, the provider will state what condition they believe the patient suffers from with a signature and date.