LEXINGTON, Ky. — The Kentucky Marijuana Card officially opened its doors, hoping to make access to medical marijuana cards easier for people navigating the process.

The business strives to simplify obtaining medical marijuana cards, and for patients like Cathy Burrough, who struggles with severe pain in her knees, hips and hands, the facility is a blessing. 

“For me, it’s very important because I have chronic pain; washing dishes, getting dressed, walking stairways [are difficult].”

Cassandra Brook, president of Kentucky Marijuana Card, says her office handles everything: scheduling appointments, medical evaluations and state application submissions, all in one place.

“We are happy to be able to help so many people finally get the relief that they deserve. We hear countless stories of people wanting to do this legally wanting to do this safely,” Brooks said. 

In order to use medical marijuana in Kentucky, the state says patients must have one of the following conditions: any form of cancer, chronic or severe pain, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, chronic nausea or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Once all the paperwork is submitted, it could take the state 30 days to go through the documents, verify eligibility and mail the medical card. But Brooks says even with this, the use of medical marijuana has a long way to go.

“There’s so much more work to do. We need to make sure that patients who are truly eligible for medical marijuana are able to access employment without being discriminated against,” she said.

For patients like Burrough, access to medical marijuana provides an alternative to other forms of medication, including opioids. “It’s a better alternative for me than getting on the opioids or the pills that they offer,” she said.

To learn more about eligibility and the application process, visit Team Kentucky: Office of Medical Cannabis website.