WINCHESTER, Ky. (LEX 18) — On April 20, the unofficial holiday celebrating marijuana known as “420," Cresco Labs is celebrating a milestone that’s both symbolic and substantial: its first medical cannabis harvest in Kentucky.
Kentucky’s medical cannabis program, which has been years in the making, is still in its early stages. Limited supply has been a challenge for patients statewide, but each new facility, dispensary and harvest pushes the program forward.
On Monday, the multi-state cannabis company’s Winchester facility cut plants from its first crop; more than 1,300 plants that will be transformed into nearly 30,000 product units. The timing of the harvest was no accident, coinciding perfectly with a day cannabis advocates nationwide celebrate progress and promote the industry.
“420 is the cultural moment in cannabis nationwide, but in Kentucky, it’s so important because this is us being able to bring more medicine to patients who need it,” said Melissa Wagamon, regional vice president at Cresco Labs.
According to Wagamon, the harvest will bring roughly 200,000 grams of medical cannabis to market in Kentucky, significantly boosting supply for the state’s 20,000 active medical cannabis card holders. Another harvest is already planned, with the goal of steadily increasing patient access.
The grow process takes careful planning and patience. Facility Manager Theodore DeLong explained how Cresco starts with plant clones, roots them for two weeks, transitions them to vegetative growth for another two weeks, then flips them to flower for 63 days. Day 64 marks harvest, when plants are cut and hung upside-down to dry for up to eight days before curing, trimming, testing and packaging.
When complete, these products, including 15 patient-preferred strains, will head to dispensaries across Kentucky. The added supply should give patients more variety and help new dispensaries open faster.
“Product like you see here will help dispensaries have more variety, open faster for patients so they can figure out which product works best for their specific need — to have more access to figure out what the right medicine is for them,” said Rachel Roberts, executive director of the Kentucky Cannabis Industry Alliance.
Currently, 10 dispensaries are open across the state. Roberts says by the end of the second quarter, that number should grow to 18.
As a card holder herself, she says that for patients, expanded access means a better quality of life.
“Before, I’d go to another state where it was legal, or I just wouldn’t access it at all,” Roberts said. “To be able to be in my home state, use medicine grown by Kentuckians, tested and processed here, sold in Kentucky dispensaries, it’s such a long time coming."
Kentucky’s medical cannabis program was signed into law in 2023 after years of advocacy. The first dispensaries opened earlier this year, and state officials say more facilities will come online throughout 2026.
To learn more about obtaining a medical cannabis card in Kentucky, click here. Patient drive events are scheduled in April and May.
