FLORENCE, Ky. (WKRC) – Medical cannabis has been legal in Kentucky for more than a year, but some of the products many patients have been waiting for are only now nearing store shelves as in-state manufacturing ramps up.

Bluegrass Cannacare in Florence opened two months ago, and general manager Chad Johns said customers have already been asking about vape pens and other fast-acting options that haven’t been available yet.

Medical cannabis has been legal in Kentucky for more than a year, but some of the products many patients have been waiting for are only now nearing store shelves as in-state manufacturing ramps up. (WKRC)

“We’ve actually told quite a few people that we don’t have those products yet, because the state hasn’t manufactured them and everything has to be grown, processed, and made in-state to sell in-state,” Johns said.

Johns said new product categories are expected soon.

“Concentrates will probably be, I’m going to say, mid-summer, hopefully sooner. [Cartridges], within the next week or so,” said Johns.

Rachel Roberts of the Kentucky Cannabis Industry Association said the rollout matters because flower is not the preferred option for many patients, and some can’t use it.

“What generally comes online first is flower, but for many patients, flower isn’t their preferred way to take their medicine, and for some, it’s not even possible. If you’re suffering from chronic nausea, for instance, something like an edible may not be the medicine that you want. You want something fast acting like a vape cartridge or a concentrate, so this really rounds out the product categories for Kentucky patients for the first time,” Roberts said.

Roberts said it is notable the industry has continued moving forward without unnecessary slowdowns such as lawsuits.

In Northern Kentucky, one challenge is proximity to Ohio, which has had medical cannabis for a decade. Johns pointed to Ohio’s early pricing as a comparison and said Kentucky prices should ease as supply grows.

“Look at Ohio five years ago, the prices were extremely high. They’ve worked themselves down. There’s just not enough product to get those prices down yet. That’s the thing I want to tell people; it will come down over time,” Johns said.

Roberts said the region’s only processor, Toro Infused in Dayton, could have vape products on shelves as early as Friday. The company has been making gummies since January, and gelatin-free gummies are also on the way for people with dietary or religious restrictions.

Qualifying conditions for a medical marijuana card include cancer, PTSD, multiple sclerosis, chronic pain, nausea, and epilepsy.