From PTSD to chronic pain, KY medical marijuana patients flock to Lexington store
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Patients from across Kentucky traveled to Lexington for Speakeasy dispensary opening.
- Kentucky program lists four active grows and one product manufacturer online.
- Patients seek alternatives to opioids and nerve/PTSD meds as rollout lags.
Medical marijuana patients traveled from Danville, Louisville and elsewhere in Kentucky on Thursday, Jan. 15 for the grand opening of Lexington’s Speakeasy Dispensary.
Speakeasy, at 1849 Alysheba Way in Hamburg, is one of the few dispensaries now open in Kentucky with products in stock.
The Post Dispensary, near Owensboro, was the first store to open in Kentucky. It briefly opened last month before running out of inventory. The Post has since announced it is reopening Jan. 16.
Others, such as Blue Sage, in Jessamine County, are preparing to open soon.
Kentucky’s medical marijuana program is gradually building supply, with four growing facilities and one product manufacturer, Gov. Andy Beshear confirmed during a weekly news briefing.
Smoking marijuana is still illegal in Kentucky, but the growing program will soon offer edibles, oils, tinctures, vapes, and raw plant material in greater variety, dispensary managers say. Patients must be registered cardholders and have one of six qualifying conditions to use medical marijuana. Registration is handled online by the Kentucky Office of Medical Cannabis.
Braving the cold, about 100 patients gathered in a large heated tent in the parking lot of the store Jan. 15, waiting to be admitted in staggered groups as it opened.
Some arrived as early as 5 a.m. for the dispensary’s 10 a.m. opening, Speakeasy manager Casey Flippo told reporters Thursday.
Among those in line was Joseph Riley, a 36-year-old who lives in Paris. In late 2024, he was seriously injured after he was hit by a car while working construction in Lexington.
That experience left him with multiple bone fractures, and today he walks with rods and screws in his legs. He lifted up his pant legs, revealing several scars.
“I hope it eases my pain and eases my anxiety,” Riley said.
He added that he hadn’t expected to be able to buy marijuana legally in Kentucky any time soon.
“I thought it was years away, honestly,” he said.
Riley was not too bothered by the somewhat elevated prices — about $60 for one-eighth of an ounce — amid supply shortages.
“Everything should be fair,” he said.
Riley sees medical cannabis as an alternative to opioids, adding he’s lost several friends to substance use disorder.
“I just want to see what they got. I’m gonna be like a kid in a candy store. This is just exciting to me,” he said.
Tammie Wells, who made the trip to Lexington from Danville, hoped medical cannabis would allow her to get off her nerve medication. The 54-year-old has complex PTSD.
“I’ve been treated for it for 25 years now. I’m seeking a different relief to get off some of the medications that I’m currently on,” Wells said. “It’s something that I wanted to stray away from, and give this a shot to see if this would be a better option for me.”
Supply was a concern for Wells, along with prices.
“I see the prices being high, because it’s just now opening up and there’s really no competition out there,” she said.
Asked about her satisfaction with Kentucky’s medical marijuana program, Wells said it “hasn’t rolled out fast enough for me,” though she’s hoping it will build momentum.
Dillon Sweeney, aged 30, lives in Lexington and has Crohn’s disease. He uses marijuana to mitigate his illness.
“It helps keep my symptoms in check,” he said.
Like Wells, Sweeney also expressed some frustration with the pace of the program.
“I felt like I was one of the first people to get a card. I got it right away. The fact that I haven’t been able to use it until a year later seems like it’s going by slower than I would like,” Sweeney said.
Sweeney added he would like to see more health conditions and ailments added to the official list for qualifying patients.
“I think it is a very useful tool,” he said, describing it as a supplement to existing healthcare. “It’s a good accessory, and it does help.”
This story was originally published January 23, 2026 at 5:00 AM.