Kentucky legislators attack governor leadership on medical cannabis

For the second time, Governor Andy Beshear (D) has done what the Kentucky legislature refused to do. On June 2, he signed Executive Order 2026-318, expanding the qualifying conditions for Kentucky's medical cannabis program. With that new Executive Order in place, the governor rescinded his original Executive Order #2022-798, which pushed the General Assembly to implement a medical cannabis law. 

The governor acted on a list of conditions unanimously approved by the Kentucky Board of Physicians and Advisors. HB 401, which would have accomplished this through the legislature, never even received a committee hearing in 2026. 

Republican leadership is now attacking the governor and asking the state Attorney General to prosecute any state organization or medical cannabis business that honors the new order.

If you live in Kentucky, tell your legislators to support the new medical cannabis Executive Order!

Kentuckians living with the following conditions can now qualify for medical cannabis:

• Terminal illnesses
• Sickle Cell Anemia
• Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)
• Parkinson's disease
• Muscular Dystrophy
• HIV
• AIDS
• Huntington’s disease
• Cachexia or Wasting Syndrome
• Crohn's disease
• Ulcerative Colitis
• Neuropathies
• Severe Arthritis
• Fibromyalgia
• Glaucoma