FRANKORT, Ky. (WKYT) – On Jan. 1, medical cannabis will become legal across the commonwealth.

For those battling chronic pain and illness, it is a day that has been a long time coming.

Karyn Czar says she was diagnosed with cancer two-and-a-half years ago. She said it brought a lot of bone and joint pain, even leading her to use a cane.

She said she was in need of relief.

“The only other option for me would’ve been to take medication that I could’ve become addicted to,” she said. “I wasn’t willing to do that.”

A Gov. Andy Beshear executive order, which went into effect Jan. 1, 2023, has allowed qualifying Kentucky patients, including Czar, to travel out of state to obtain medical cannabis.

“Within an hour, I could tell a difference, and I was using a cane, and I could feel my feet more within an hour than before I got there,” said Czar. “It would just be like putting on any other lotion, and that works really, really well for me.”

Czar said part of what has made this ongoing discussion surrounding medical cannabis so personal is that she covers the ins and outs of Frankfort, including the medical cannabis program. She said when she goes home, she experiences this issue from a firsthand, patient perspective.

“It’s a story I’ve covered for years, and I was sympathetic to it, and until I got cancer, I wasn’t empathetic to it,” she said. “Now, I am heartbroken for people who struggled for so many years without this medication.”

With this medication, Czar said she has been able to get back on her feet, even participating in Woodford Theatre productions, where moving around quickly is a must.

However, Czar said easy access, both physically and financially, is needed for all patients.

“I’m hopeful. I feel like we’re going in the right direction,” said Czar. “I can’t wait to see where we are five years from now once we’re set in place and things are rolling.”

Cannabis consumption outside of the medical cannabis program will still be illegal next year.

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