Kentucky medical cannabis businesses licensed under KRS Chapter 218B may not operate within 1,000 feet of schools or daycares. Louisville Metro can adopt additional buffers and zoning controls under the state framework effective January 2025.
Kentucky's medical cannabis program took effect January 1, 2025 under KRS Chapter 218B, administered by the Cabinet for Health and Family Services Office of Medical Cannabis (OMC). The statute prohibits any cannabis business (cultivator, processor, dispensary, safety compounding facility) from operating within 1,000 feet of an existing public or private school or licensed daycare. Louisville Metro may adopt additional zoning buffers, distance requirements from parks and houses of worship, and prohibit cannabis businesses entirely under KRS §218B.110, which permits local-option referenda. Operators must obtain both state OMC licensure and Metro zoning approval.
Operating inside a prohibited buffer or without Metro zoning approval is a Class A misdemeanor under state law and can result in OMC license revocation and Metro code-enforcement penalties.
See how Louisville's buffer zones rules stack up against other locations.
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