Missouri Cannabis Laws

There are specific cannabis licenses available in Missouri for cultivation, dispensary, manufacturing, testing, and transportation.

The application window for the first round of dispensaries licenses is now closed. DHSS accepted license applications from August 3, 2019, to August 20th 2019 and conducted scoring to determine which applicants would be granted a license.

Dispensary license winners were announced around January 24, 2020.

DHSS has not announced when the next round of applications will be accepted, but is expected to publish any new application timelines at least 6 months in advance of the next window.

There is a $6,000 non-refundable application fee and a $10, 000 annual fee for your dispensary license.

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) is in charge of reviewing applications and approving patient and dispensary licenses.

Up to 5 dispensary licenses, or 3 cultivation licenses, or 3 manufacturing licenses may be issued to “any entity under substantially common control, ownership, or management.”

Applicants for commercial licenses must be a Missouri resident with proof of residency for at least 1 year. Entities must be majority-owned by natural persons who have been citizens of Missouri for at least 1 year and do not claim resident privileges in another state or county.

No facility can be owned in any part by or employ anyone with a disqualifying felony offense. Applications must include a statement confirming all owners, principal officers, and managers have submitted fingerprints and undergone a criminal background check by the Missouri State Highway Patrol within in the past 6 months.

If the number of applicants is greater than the number of dispensary licenses available, the DHSS will determine the most suitable candidates by scoring and ranking applicants. Here are some of the criteria they will use, and you should consider to ensure your best chance at getting a license:

• The character and qualifications of the principal officers or managers
• The business plan, including safety, security, supply, low-income patient solutions, and black market diversion measures
• Dispensary site security
• Previous experience in a legal cannabis market
• Potential for positive economic impact in the community
• Capacity or experience with health care, and the suitability and accessibility of the location for patients
• A plan to maintain competitiveness in the medical marijuana market

You can find the draft rules outlining application information and all other aspects of the Medical Marijuana Program on the Missouri DHSS website.

Each owner, officer, manager, contractor, employee or support staff must obtain an Agent Identification Card with a unique identifying number. This must be granted before any individual can begin employment. You can apply for this ID card through the DHSS for a fee of $75 and it is valid for 3 years.

Only medical patients (or Primary Caregivers) with a valid DHSS-issued ID card can purchase from a dispensary in Missouri.

When choosing a dispensary location, regulations state that your facility must be at least 1,000 feet from an elementary or secondary school, daycare, or church. This is measured by a straight line (shortest distance) from the closest external wall of the dispensary to the closest property line point of the school, daycare, or church. Individual districts can increase these boundaries.

Medical cannabis dispensaries in Missouri can sell mature plants, seedlings, concentrates, flower, and edibles.

A dispensary cannot sell more than four (4) ounces of dried, unprocessed cannabis, or its equivalent, to any qualifying patient within a 30-day period, in accordance with possession limits for individuals.

Missouri law states that packaging for medical marijuana must be clearly and conspicuously labeled as “Marijuana” or “Marijuana-infused Product”. It must not be designed to cause confusion between a marijuana product and any product not containing marijuana, or to appeal in any way to a minor. Packaging must be opaque, resealable, and constructed to be significantly difficult for children under 5 to open.

Packaging may not contain any health benefit claims, but it must contain proper warnings consistent with state laws.

There is a 4% sales tax on medical marijuana, with the revenue to be distributed to healthcare services, job training, housing assistance, and other services for veterans.

You cannot display marijuana, accessories, or advertisements for either anywhere that can be seen by the general public outside your dispensary. Any signage visible to the outside public may only contain your business name, address, phone number, and website. It can’t contain images of marijuana, accessories, or suggestive images like smoke. You can’t give away free product during promotional events or allow smoking in the dispensary.

Qualifying patients over 18, or Primary Caregivers of certain qualifying patients under the age of 18, who possess an ID card issued by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) can purchase medical marijuana from any state-licensed dispensary. To obtain this ID card, a qualifying patient or Primary Caregiver must obtain physician certification and apply via the DHSS within 30 days.

Yes, patients must have one of the following conditions:

• Cancer
• Epilepsy
• Glaucoma
• Migraines
• Chronic severe, persistent pain or persistent muscle spasms
• Debilitating psychiatric disorders
• HIV or AIDS
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• Chronic medical conditions otherwise treated by prescription medications that may be habit-forming
• Any terminal illness
• Other chronic, debilitating or other medical conditions at a physician’s discretion

Each patient or Primary Caregiver ID card costs $25 and is valid for 1 year. Physician certification must also be renewed annually.

While certain exceptions apply, and require certification from multiple physicians, state law says it is legal for all medical marijuana patients and Primary Caregivers to possess:

• Up to 6 flowering marijuana plants
• Up to a 90-day supply of dried, unprocessed marijuana or equivalent (if cultivating plants on their property)
• Up to a 60-day supply of dried, unprocessed marijuana or equivalent (if not cultivating plants)