for kicking off your Monday night with us.
>> The winners of Kentucky's first medical cannabis dispensary lottery were drawn today.
The Kentucky Lottery conducted the randomized wrong.
It decided who can open the first.
36 retail operations and some of Kentucky's more rule counties.
>> Because our program is rooted in patient access is critical that our cannabis business licensing framework ensures the new industry is stable and sustainable with an emphasis on small business and provides product growth to me.
Cardholder demand.
For this reason.
Our initial license availability for each business category was 10 tier-one cultivators for tier 2 cultivators 2 tier 3 call debaters.
10 processors.
And 48 dispensaries a few weeks ago, as the governor mentioned, the 26 cultivator processor licenses were selected in our first lottery process.
And those businesses are now fully licensed.
Well, I'm feeling good that we are now through all.
But the last lottery.
>> And we've already gotten all the processes.
All the cultivators and 4 of the lab's licensed.
That's a big deal when previously weren't going to be a to even start that process until January one.
So I think given what the law was, we've worked pretty fast up to now.
Now we'll have to see how quickly some of these businesses move.
I think they have every incentive to move quickly, but I'm gonna KET the executive order in place that provides protection from prosecution.
For those with these conditions.
Again, until we've got the program up and running and then I will re send it.
And I just add on to what Sam said, we promised to do this safely and we promised to do it in a smart way.
We can always expand dispensaries.
But what we saw with hemp with all the licenses that went out is a crash.
The market having too many individuals that were out there licensed in the very beginning.
So we think that we've got it generally right.
But we also know that it's a lot easier to build if the demand is bigger, then the contract and to and to have those that are part of our first launch struggle.
>> Governor Beshear says as the state gauges demand, he hopes lawmakers will consider expanding the list of qualifying elements.
The dispensary selected today will serve region's 3 through 11.
Same right here on this map.
Another drawing set for December.
The 16th will decide who gets to open dispensaries in Jefferson, Fayette and some of their surrounding counties.