LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) – Louisville’s first medical cannabis dispensary opened on Saturday.

Kentucky Alternative Care is located on Bardstown Road, and it’s the state’s sixth dispensary opening its doors.

Many people braved Saturday mornings’ bitterly cold temperatures for the grand opening, huddling next to outdoor heaters, sipping warm coffee and bundled up in warm clothing.

Some had been in line since 4:30 a.m., including Shaun Roberts and Krystal Scott.

“We wanted to be the first ones in line to be able to get the opportunity to come in here and see what they presented and see what it’s doing for the community and the state of Kentucky,” Roberts said.

For him, it’s been a long time coming.

“We’ve waited over a year for this process to happen,” he said. “We really look forward for this opportunity to come in here and purchase it.”

Kentucky Alternative Care is Jefferson County’s first medical cannabis dispensary. The county was allotted two licenses at the end of 2024.

Roberts said the store will provide a safe and legal way to purchase marijuana to help with a longstanding ailment.

“I have broken bones in my neck where I had a fall on ice years ago, and they couldn’t fix it, or else I’d be paralyzed,” Roberts explained. “Being able to use medical marijuana for illnesses, I have seizures from it, so with the new things and products coming out, it’s gonna help with that.”

The store will be open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day except Monday.

To go inside, customers must have a medical marijuana card. To get one, you must be 18 or older, have no felony record and have a qualifying medical condition.

Co-founders Dustin Stanley and Su Kang said they’re hoping to use the opportunity to educate people on why it can be used for medical purposes.

“Pain is a big one,” Stanley explained. “Each patient has a different issue that they want to address, but I hear a lot of people that are in pain that need this as an alternative to opiates, but we hear about the opiate crisis and how many accidental overdoses there are every year.”

Kentucky was the 38th state to legalize medical marijuana in 2023.

The two founders said they’re looking forward to the future of the business in the state.

“As of today, there’s 40 states where medical cannabis is legal,” Kang said.

“Now things are starting to happen that should’ve happened a long time ago, it’s being much more accepted in the community, and the public, and it’s just great to be a part of it,” Stanley said.

For more information on Kentucky Alternative Care, click or tap here.

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