Adult use marijuana sales begin in Missouri dispensaries
While the anticipated date for adult use marijuana sales had been February 6, retail facilities around the state are now able to begin recreational marijuana sales. But that doesn’t necessarily mean your local dispensary will be open for adult use sales today.
In an effort to ensure that the constitutional deadlines for approval of license conversions were met, today, the Division of Cannabis Regulation began processing applications for comprehensive facility applicants.
“97% of the state’s medical marijuana dispensaries have requested to convert their medical license to a comprehensive license,” said Lisa Cox, Communications Director for Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.
Per Amendment 3, the Department is required to approve or deny requests by medical marijuana facilities to convert to a comprehensive facility type, licensed for both medical and adult use, within 60 days of the application.
“Approximately 90% of those dispensary facilities who have submitted the request did so on Dec. 8, 2022, the first day they were able to submit such request,” Cox confirmed.
Upon approval of a dispensary’s conversion application, a facility will be authorized to begin adult use sales, according to the Department.
“Each licensee is responsible for knowing and understanding the rules that apply to their facility,” Cox said. “After conversion, sales to adult-use consumers (age 21 and up) may begin as soon as comprehensive dispensary facilities are ready to commence operating under their new authority.”
Starting early this morning, facilities around the state began receiving approval of their conversion requests. Now dozens of dispensaries have started to make announcements on social media touting their ability to welcome adults over 21 without a medical marijuana card. But not every dispensary will be able to make recreational cannabis sales today or this weekend.
A handful of licensees have yet to apply for conversion and will be unable to service the recreational consumer market.
Additionally, some municipalities and local governments have not completed the necessary processes for dispensary businesses to operate as adult use today.
In Columbia, dispensaries within city limits are required to obtain a separate business license for adult use marijuana sales. Officials told Patients Magazine earlier this week that those licenses are not expected to be approved until next week.
Elsewhere around the state, facilities are facing similar issues with local regulators. In more than one municipality operators of existing medical marijuana dispensaries have been told that their current location will not be zoned for recreational marijuana sales. They have yet to define new zoning for adult use.