WAYNE Co., Ky. (WYMT) – A groundbreaking for a new facility to grow medical cannabis in Southern Kentucky was conducted Monday morning.

The groundbreaking comes after medical cannabis was legalized in Kentucky earlier in the year.

The plan is for the facility to be in Monticello. Governor Andy Beshear’s senior advisor said it will be the first medical cannabis cultivating facility in the state.

The facility is a $25 million investment and could lead to 75 to 100 jobs.

The process to grow the product, process it, and then dispense it can be lengthy and time consuming.

A lottery was put on for cultivators, processors, and dispensaries last year.

“This is the first groundbreaking from that lottery. This is the first groundbreaking from that medical cannabis initiative, since the bill has been passed,” said Rocky Adkins, Gov. Beshear’s Senior Advisor.

Medical cannabis officials said many other cultivators are retrofitting other facilities to grow medical cannabis.

Some said they hope to have their product ready to go by late this summer of early fall.

Officials estimate about 6 million Americans are using medical cannabis, with 38 states like Kentucky having legalized it.

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