Kentucky governor announces lottery to award initial round of medical cannabis business licenses [Video]

FRANKFORT, Ky. – Kentucky will use a lottery system to award an initial round of licenses to businesses competing to participate in the state’s startup medical cannabis program, Gov. Andy Beshear announced Thursday.

The governor called it a fair way to give each applicant that clears the screening process an opportunity to land a license for the program, which launches statewide at the start of 2025.

The lottery, set for October, should remove any temptation to lobby in an effort to “get a leg up in …