Kentucky auditor to investigate state’s medical marijuana licensing process

The Kentucky auditor’s office plans to investigate the state’s medical marijuana licensing process.

Auditor Allison Ball said the state received complaints about the lottery system used by the Office of Medical Cannabis to award business licenses to grow, process and sell MMJ products, the Associated Press reported.

“My office has continued to receive complaints about how the Office of Medical Cannabis administered the lottery process for awarding medical cannabis business licenses,” Ball said Thursday as she announced the investigation.

“Kentuckians should have confidence that state offices operate with transparency and integrity, and my office is committed to ensuring those standards.”

The process of awarding the licenses, including live-streaming the lotteries, was transparent, Gov. Andy Beshear’s office said.

“The individuals who have come forward to express ‘concerns’ went through the full process and did not complain until after not being selected in the lottery,” Beshear spokesperson Crystal Staley told the media.

But the out-of-state applicants that dominated the lotteries were connected to large cannabis operators, Kentucky Public Radio noted.

The state received 4,998 applications for medical cannabis business licenses during the July 1-Aug. 31 application period.

More than 8,000 Kentucky patients have received MMJ cards, according to the governor’s office, but products are not yet available.