Product formats
Kentucky's medical cannabis program permits flower for vaporization, vape cartridges, edibles, tinctures, topicals, and concentrates. Each format has a different onset, duration, and use case. Kentucky prohibits smoking of raw plant material under KRS 218B — flower is legal, but only in a vaporizer.
Flower (for Vaporization)
Flower is raw, dried cannabis — the closest form to the plant as it grows. Under Kentucky's medical program, flower is legal for vaporization only; smoking raw plant material is prohibited under KRS 218B. Vaporization heats the flower below combustion temperature, releasing cannabinoids and terpenes without producing smoke.
Vape Cartridges & Pens
Vape cartridges are concentrated cannabis oil in a pre-filled cartridge attached to a battery. They deliver cannabinoids through inhalation without the preparation flower requires. In Kentucky's program, vapes are one of the most popular formats because they're discreet, precise, and fast.
Edibles
Edibles are cannabis-infused foods and capsules taken orally. They go through the liver, where THC converts to 11-hydroxy-THC — a metabolite with a longer duration and often a heavier body effect than inhaled cannabis. Onset is slow. Effects last hours. The golden rule of edibles is nearly universal in medical cannabis: start low, go slow.
Tinctures & Oral Sprays
Tinctures are cannabis extracts in a carrier oil (MCT, olive) or alcohol base, taken by placing drops under the tongue. Sub-lingual absorption bypasses the digestive tract and delivers cannabinoids into the bloodstream faster than an edible but slower than inhalation. For patients who want precise milligram control without inhaling, tinctures are the gold standard.
Topicals (Balms, Creams, Patches)
Topicals are cannabis-infused balms, creams, lotions, and patches applied to the skin. Most topicals do not cross into the bloodstream — they act on cannabinoid receptors in the skin and muscle tissue right at the application site. That means localized relief without any 'high.' For patients who want pain or inflammation relief and need to stay clear-headed, topicals are unique.
Concentrates & Rosin
Concentrates are cannabis extracts that isolate and concentrate cannabinoids and terpenes from the plant material. Rosin, live resin, hash, and distillate are all concentrates, but they're produced very differently and matter to patients for very different reasons. Concentrates are typically 60–90% cannabinoids by weight — many times more potent than flower.