Members of Fiscal Court all agree that medicinal cannabis could have a future in Daviess County, as a new state law would allow dispensaries to open and sell the product starting January 1, 2025.
Judge-Executive Charlie Castlen said that he was “lukewarm at best” on the future of medicinal cannabis in Daviess County prior to listening to a presentation at a conference last week. After hearing about the benefits and the regulations the state already has in place to serve as a baseline, on Thursday he said he now leans “toward supporting” allowing a dispensary to open.
“We’ve gotten to witness what many states have done wrong and where they didn’t do some things that would have been beneficial. I think Kentucky’s taken a very wise approach to making this product available,” Castlen said.
According to officials, both the City of Owensboro and Daviess County Fiscal Court have until December 31 to enact their own ordinances prohibiting or restricting medicinal cannabis within city and county limits, respectively. This comes after the Kentucky General Assembly passed House Bill 829, which amended the American Medical Marijuana statute to allow dispensaries to open and sell medicinal cannabis starting next year.
Under the current law, only four dispensaries would be allowed to operate throughout an entire economic development district, and only one could operate out of any given county. Daviess County is part of the 7-county Green River District. Per statute, dispensaries are also restricted from opening within 1,000 feet of an elementary or middle school or daycare center.
To be prescribed medicinal cannabis, people must have a written certificate and be recommended by their medical professional or diagnosed with one of the following medical conditions:
- Cancer
- Chronic Severe Intractable or debilitating pain
- Epilepsy
- Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
- Chronic Nausea or Cyclical Vomiting Syndrome, if it’s resistant to other treatment
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Castlen noted that it would benefit patients with such diagnoses. County Commissioner Larry Conder agreed that during his own journey with cancer, he saw the benefits that could arise from medicinal cannabis.
“I am a cancer survivor. I have seen individuals suffer firsthand with very difficult health issues. Medical marijuana helps them, meaning they don’t necessarily get it here, but it is a drug that substantially helps not only cancer victims, but epilepsy and veterans with PTSD, the list can go on,” Conder said.
Conder and his fellow Commissioners agree that, due to the regulations, Owensboro-Daviess County would benefit economically from opening a dispensary.
“There’s only so many locations within the region to get it. If we don’t, somebody else will. Us having it helps serve a higher population of people who would qualify people in our community,” Commissioner Chris Castlen said.
Commissioner Janie Marksberry also supports the regulations and practices in place and thinks that Owensboro-Daviess County will be lucky to have one close by.
She said, “I think they’ve put a lot of thought into it, and anything that will help people that are struggling with pain, I’m all for it.”
