At least one Barren County farmer has officially applied to operate a medical cannabis business in Barren County. Applying was made possible for Barren County residents by a vote at the June 27 meeting of the Barren Fiscal Court.
Farmer, Cave City business owner and “hemp preacher” of Kentucky, Chad Wilson is excited for the possibility of growing medical cannabis at his farm in Cave City. Wilson is outspoken on the subject, and thinks this is a necessary step towards economic strength in the Bluegrass.
“I have been working for 12 years to get to this point, if the county itself had said ‘no’ I wouldn’t have gotten a chance to grow. That was a scary prospect, and I am glad they voted in favor of this,” Wilson said. “This is our state’s heritage, and it could positively change the town and county.”
Wilson said the application process was tedious, but not difficult.
“It was similar to what we did for the industrial hemp program. The one thing I liked about the application process, is that it was a little more detailed asking about for plans and a budget,
I feel more than anything the program should have gone to the proven hemp farmers, but it is not set up that way on the first stab. It is a lottery, luck of the draw,” Wilson said.
To apply, Wilson paid $3,000 as a small growth applicant. Only ten applicants state wide will be selected in the small growth category.
As someone who has studied the subject of cannabis growth for years, Wilson cautions anyone who regards growing medical marijuana as a “get rich quick” scheme.
“It is not easy. It will be the combination of hard work and opportunity if we are so lucky as to get drawn. It will mean big, positive changes for my family and my community. It will create commerce and positive tourism, in my opinion. And I want this for our county bad,” Wilson said.
Applications will be taken until 11:59:59 PM EST on August 31, 2024.
Lottery results will be revealed later in the year.
