Kentucky Now Has 384 Nurses Authorized to Certify Medical Marijuana Patients, Updated Data Shows
- Kentucky now has 384 advanced practice registered nurses authorized to certify patients for medical marijuana, an increase of nine since summer 2026.
- Authorized APRNs must hold a valid license, have DEA credentials, complete medical marijuana education, and have no financial ties to dispensaries; these certifications enable patients to apply for medical marijuana cards.
- The state’s medical marijuana program covers conditions such as cancer, chronic pain, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, nausea, and PTSD, requiring an initial in-person exam with subsequent telehealth care allowed.
- Kentucky’s medical marijuana industry is growing, with 16 dispensaries currently open and serving patients statewide as of late August.
Kentucky now has 384 advanced practice registered nurses authorized to certify patients for the state’s medical marijuana program, according to updated data published today by the Kentucky Board of Nursing.
The board’s latest licensure and credentialing statistics, updated September 21, list 384 active “Medicinal Cannabis Authorizations.” That is up from 375 reported in the board’s Summer 2026 statistics, an increase of nine authorized nurses.
Under Kentucky law, advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) who receive authorization from the Board of Nursing can issue written certifications verifying that patients have qualifying conditions for medical marijuana treatment. Those certifications allow patients to apply for registry identification cards through the Kentucky Medical Cannabis Program.
The certifications are not prescriptions. Kentucky requires APRNs seeking authorization to hold a license in good standing, have Drug Enforcement Administration credentials to prescribe controlled substances and a prescription drug monitoring program account, complete six hours of medical marijuana continuing education and have no ownership, investment or compensation agreement with a licensed dispensary.
The authorization must be renewed annually, with practitioners required to complete three additional hours of medical marijuana education for renewal.
Kentucky’s medical marijuana program allows patients with qualifying conditions including cancer, chronic or severe pain, epilepsy and other intractable seizure disorders, multiple sclerosis or spasticity, chronic nausea or cyclical vomiting syndrome, and post-traumatic stress disorder to obtain medical marijuana cards.
Patients must first establish a bona fide relationship with an authorized practitioner through an initial in-person examination. Subsequent care can be maintained through telehealth.
The growing number of authorized nurses comes as Kentucky’s medical marijuana industry continues expanding. As of late August, the state listed 16 dispensaries as open and serving patients across Kentucky.