Kentucky Lawmakers File Bill to Expand List of Medical Cannabis Conditions, Allow Home Grow

OG article by Anthony Martinelli

January 19, 2026

Kentucky legislators introduced a bill to broaden the state's medical cannabis program by adding qualifying conditions and authorizing limited home cultivation. Registered adult patients and caregivers could grow up to three mature plants plus three seedlings indoors in a locked, enclosed space on private property. Expanded conditions include all cancer stages, severe arthritis, neuropathies, sickle cell disease, and Parkinson’s disease. Protections strengthen: compliant individuals gain safeguards against arrest, prosecution, searches, or seizures; uncombusted marijuana odor cannot alone justify smoking assumptions; registry card possession does not establish probable cause. Driving impairment, public use, and unlicensed sales remain prohibited. The measure aims to make Kentucky's program more patient-friendly, mirroring expansions in nearby states, by addressing access gaps and reducing barriers for legitimate medical users. If enacted, it would significantly enhance the framework established in recent years, potentially increasing participation and relief for qualifying patients while preserving core regulatory controls. Advocates view it as a balanced step toward compassionate reform without full recreational changes.