The governor of Kentucky announced on Thursday that the state has received nearly 5,000 medical marijuana business license applications as of last weekend, a level of interest that has taken officials by surprise.

During the two-month application window that opened on July 1, Kentucky’s Office of Medical Cannabis (OCM) said 4,998 proposals were submitted, with the vast majority (88 percent) applying to become licensed dispensaries.

Gov. Andy Beshear (D) also said during a press conference that, once the cannabis program is up and running, he intends to rescind an executive order he issued last October to legally protect patients who possess medical cannabis purchased at out-of-state licensed retailers.

“When we launched this program, our goal was to ensure that our licensing process was transparent and provided everyone a fair shot at being a part of this new, exciting industry,” Beshear said. “Today, the results are clear. The incredible interest in this process, especially among Kentuckians, is proof that this program has met that goal and is set up for success now and moving forward.”

OCM has ramped up staffing to review the applications ahead of a planned lottery to award the licenses next month. Cultivator and processor applications will first

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