192 Medical Marijuana Facilities In Missouri Obtain Licenses, Sales Expected This Spring

Department of Health and Senior Services announced Jan. 23 it has commenced the issuance of 192 licenses for medical marijuana dispensary facilities. The very next day, DHSS released a full list of licenses that were awarded, as well as which applications were denied.

The department was obliged by the constitutional amendment that voters backed in 2018 to license at least 192 dispensaries, according to St.Louis Public Radio. Out of those 192 dispensaries, each state’s congressional district should have 24.

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DHSS could have issued more licenses, but they decided for 192 to test if the minimum set by the constitutional amendment was enough to answer the state’s needs.

“In early 2019, DHSS commissioned an independent study from the University of Missouri to determine how many licenses would be necessary to meet Missouri’s demand,” said Lisa Cox, a spokeswoman for DHSS. “The results showed it would be many years before the medical marijuana market would be likely to sustain even the minimum number of licenses mandated by the Constitution.”

In addition, the department announced it will release seed-to-sale facility certifications on Jan. 31. According to St.Louis Public Radio, DHSS expects medical marijuana sales to commence this spring.