Medical Marijuana Legalization in Missouri
Medical marijuana has been legal in Missouri since 2018. As of the current date, recreational marijuana has yet to be legalized, however we are holding out hope that the next opportunity will present itself in 2022. There were high hopes of getting adult-use recreational marijuana on the ballot this November, but unfortunately the pandemic halted all progress that had been made.
COVID-19 really did a number on the timeline of dispensaries opening up in the state as well. However, further steps have been taken as DHSS has finally approved commencement of the state’s first operating cultivation facilities.
Is Medical Marijuana Legal in Missouri?
Medically, yes! This means you are legally allowed to use cannabis if you are a Missouri marijuana card carrier. You can only administer medical marijuana or medical marijuana on private property, however, as smoking in public spaces is prohibited.
Missouri’s Medical Marijuana Program in the Midst of Covid:
It’s true that participants in Missouri’s Medical Marijuana Program viewed the crisis as just that. However, “working through a crisis, the likes of which our world hasn’t seen for over a century, comes with its challenges, but it also comes with opportunities.” said Josh Mitchem, CEO of licensed marijuana-infused products manufacturer, Clovr. “Fortunately, the Mayor of Kansas City saw the importance of getting medical cannabis facilities up and running to serve the thousands of patients in pain and in need of our form of medicine.”
While now nearly 78,433 Missourians and counting have received their medical cards, dispensaries cannot sell to patients currently, as they have yet to open and there are not currently medical marijuana products available. Early on in 2020, Missouri dispensaries were getting ready to debut their cannabis products. Then the dreaded COVID-19 derailed and halted all progress in its tracks. Fortunately, people are expecting a great come back with cultivators already passing their commencement inspections and being approved by the Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) to plant their first seeds!
Medical Marijuana Facilities Preparing to Open
Though the slowdown in the build-out process has had many wondering when they’ll ever be able to step foot in a Missouri dispensary, we should expect to see medical marijuana dispensaries open with products on shelves sometime in mid-late September! For those asking why medical marijuana won’t be available in Missouri any sooner, there are still quite a few steps to take, and there’s no rushing this process.
In Missouri, medical marijuana facilities must complete an administrative verification process as well as a commencement inspection before beginning operations. Further, marijuana takes about 9 weeks to harvest, but still requires several more weeks to reach a dispensary sales floor, considering the drying and curing process, the packaging, the transportation, and the stocking must occur before patients can purchase their medicine.
As of Friday, January 22nd, DHSS completed 367 minimum standard reviews (aka verifications), or 98% complete. There are now 115 facilities requesting a commencement inspection in MO.As of Jan. 25th, DHSS completed commencement requests grew to 115, and the commenced number is now 61 total approved to operate.
Commencement Inspections: 115 requested, 41 in progress, 15 set aside, 59 complete
Operational Deadline Variance Requests: 273 total requested, 119 complete
“There is an exhilarating level of excitement at the grassroots level, while many enthusiasts find their place in the market, Missouri’s market is expected to create 6,000-8,000 new jobs, but not a job for everyone. The cream will rise to the top and that talent pool forming can be considered a win for patients… This is only flowering the great state of Missouri into something greater that we can only see in our near future!” said Rachel Dunn of Greenway magazine. And, she may be right! Despite the monumental hurdles Missouri’s medical marijuana program has had to overcome, it is plugging along with minimal delays.
Where Can Patients Purchase Medical Marijuana in Missouri?
Medical marijuana dispensaries in Missouri are not going to be hard to come by! With 192 dispensary licenses given out, you should be able to find dispensaries almost anywhere in Missouri.
- Nirvana Bliss 2 | N’ Bliss – Manchester
- Nirvana Bliss 5 | N’ Bliss – Ellisville
- Swade | Beleaf – St. Peters
- Missouri Health & Wellness – Washington
- Missouri Health & Wellness – Sedalia
- Fresh Green – Lee’s Summit
- The Dispensary – Cassville
- Old Route 66 Wellness – Ozark
- Old Route 66 Wellness – Springfield
- Harmony Neosho | Flora Farms – Neosho
- GRD | Green Releaf – Moberly
- Missouri Health & Wellness – Kirksville
- AW Enterprises | 3rd Street Dispensary – Lee’s Summit
- GRD | Green Releaf – Mexico
- Show Me Alternatives | COCO Dispensary – Moberly
- Releaf Resources – Grandview
- BD Health Retail 1 | Flora Farms – Humansville
- GRD Troy LLC | Green Releaf – Troy
- COMO Health LLC | 3Fifteen Primo – Columbia
- BMD Smithville LLC | Besame Wellness – Smithville
- OXD 19341 | From The Earth – Independence
- OXD Troost | From The Earth – Kansas City
- LSA314 Inc | Taste Buds – St. Clair
- Missouri Joint Ventures, LLC | MJV – Nixa
- SMO5 LLC | Blue Sage Cannabis – Lebanon*
- Missouri Health & Wellness – Jefferson City*
- Mo Med Chillicothe, LLC | CoCo Dispensary – Chillicothe*
- 29 & 79 LLC | The Valley – Farmington*
- Cape Girardeau Investments LLC | Greenlight – Cape Girardeau*
- Occidental Group, Inc | Star Buds – Festus*
- Sikeston Investments LLC | Greenlight – Sikeston*
- Easy Mountain Investments LLC | Easy Mountain Dispensary – Republic*
- SMO4 LLC | Blue Sage Cannabis – Carthage*
- Ozarx Botanicals I LLC | Springfield*
- BMD Swift LLC | Besame Wellness – N. Kansas City*
Do I Need a Missouri Medical Marijuana Card to smoke?
Simply put, yes. You must have a Missouri medical card or have a licensed medical marijuana caregiver in order to legally consume medical marijuana in Missouri. If you’re considering whether or not to speak with your doctor about becoming a patient, we couldn’t recommend it enough! There are many benefits to having a Missouri medical marijuana card. First and foremost, it makes it legal for you to possess medical marijuana and medical marijuana products! It also allows you to purchase medical marijuana from the state of Missouri legally in licensed dispensaries as well as apply to cultivate marijuana in your home!
Who Qualifies for Medical Marijuana in the State of Missouri
Amendment 2 (now Article XIV of the Missouri Constitution) has laid out a number of medical conditions that can be alleviated with medical marijuana use. This can range from any chronic or debilitating condition that a professional medical practitioner can certify you are suffering from. This certification is the first step obtaining a medical marijuana patient card in the state of Missouri.
Article XIV of the Missouri Constitution states that a qualifying medical condition is classified as:
- Cancer
- Epilepsy
- Glaucoma
- Intractable migraines non-responsive to other treatment
- A chronic medical condition that causes severe, persistent pain or muscle spasms, that include but are not limited by those associated with multiple sclerosis, seizures, Parkinson’s disease, and Tourette’s syndrome
- Debilitating psychiatric disorders, including, but not limited to, post-traumatic stress order, if diagnosed by a state licensed psychiatrist
- Human immunodeficiency virus or acquired immune deficiency syndrome
- A chronic medical condition that is normally treated with a prescription medications that could lead to physical or psychological dependence, when a physician determines that medical use of marijuana could be effective in treating that condition and would serve as a safer alternative to the prescription medication
- A terminal illness
- In the professional judgment of a physician, any other chronic, debilitating or other medical condition, including, but not limited to, hepatitis C,
- amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, inflammatory bowel disease, Crohn’s disease, Huntington’s disease, autism, neuropathies, sickle cell anemia, agitation of Alzheimer’s disease, cachexia, and wasting syndrome.
How Do I Get a Missouri Medical Marijuana Card?
After receiving your certification, you must register on the Missouri patient portal at MyComplia and submit your application along with the certification form and accompanying documents. If approved by the Department, you will receive your card in the mail within 30 days. This card will then allow you to purchase and possess medicinal marijuana at any Missouri dispensary and permits you to buy up to 4 ounces of weed—or up to 8 ounces if you receive a certification from two separate doctors.
If you wish to apply to home cultivate in Missouri, you will need to indicate so on your certification form and online patient application. Read more details on the necessary steps in our article on Missouri Cultivation Licenses.
What Is a Cultivation Card and What Can I do With it?
Patients are allowed to cultivate up to six female flowering marijuana plants (of any strain), six male plants, and six clones upon receiving confirmation from DHSS. Two patients are allowed to grow in the same residence. You must apply for the cultivation card in the same manner you apply for the medical marijuana card, and you can even do both applications simultaneously. The fee for the card is an extra $100, but if you check out our tips and tricks for growing big buds you will find it’s worth it. It should also be noted that the process for getting these card(s) can take up to 30 days.
How Much Medical Marijuana Can Be Purchased From a Dispensary?
The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services Medical Marijuana Program has set caps on the amount of marijuana that can be purchased by a single patient. Patients can purchase up to 4 ounces of medical marijuana flower, or the equivalent ratio of other marijuana products, and this will be tracked by the state. Patients cannot purchase more than a 30-day supply of marijuana flower, and this will be regulated by DHSS in tandem with licensed Missouri dispensaries.
If I Have a Medical Marijuana Card in Another State, Can I Purchase Cannabis from Missouri Dispensaries?
The state of Missouri does not allow reciprocity. This means medical marijuana patients with recommendations from other states are unable to access medical marijuana in Missouri. Patients are approved on a state by state basis, and some states do allow for reciprocity, including Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Washington.
Can my Employer Still Drug Test Me for Marijuana if I Am a Registered Patient?
Yes, unfortunately they can. Missouri does not provide protection to medical marijuana patients from employee drug testing. It is left to the discretion of the employer whether they will recognize an employee’s medical marijuana card as an exemption to company drug testing policies.
Missouri Marijuana, Wrapped
Medical Marijuana Dispensary Cumulative Sales: Beginning October 16, 2020 and cumulative through January 22, 2021, DHSS is reporting $8,807,160 in total MMJ sales. This is a huge number and very helpful for showing how much revenue this plant can bring to our great show-me state!
We all are hopeful and ready for Missouri to start selling medical marijuana products to patients. Getting medical marijuana on the ballot, and winning with a majority of 66% support in 2018, it seems most Missourians are ready too! We cannot wait to see what this future holds, and we are ready and excited to share all of the top related news and resources regarding the legalization of marijuana with you!
We are committed to helping you find valuable information about cannabis on our website. With the laws of marijuana constantly changing, learn about the latest laws here and what you can do to help spread activism here! Otherwise, consider these other top tier articles regarding cannabis:
Additional Resources:
At The Weed Blog, we strive to produce the latest online news resources regarding marijuana. We also review various strains of cannabis or other edible counterparts. We are committed to helping you find valuable information about marijuana on our website. With marijuana laws constantly changing, learn from us what you can do to promote activism in your area. Otherwise, consider these other top-tier articles regarding cannabis:
