JEFFERSON CITY — Authorized marijuana dispensaries may start promoting to clients earlier than early February, quicker than initially anticipated, a spokeswoman for the Division of Well being and Senior Providers mentioned Friday.
Beneath Missouri’s new constitutional modification legalizing marijuana, permitted by voters on Tuesday, medical marijuana firms will be capable to apply Dec. 8 to transform their amenities for “complete” gross sales.
The state is required to take motion inside 60 days, making Feb. 6 the date the state can be required to approve conversion purposes submitted on Dec. 8.
However DHSS spokeswoman Lisa Cox instructed the Publish-Dispatch that officers count on to transform licenses “earlier than the 60-day deadline, as quickly as we have now guidelines for complete amenities filed.”

Prospects arriving at Correct Hashish in South St. Louis County can ring the bell within the affected person ready room earlier than being served on Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2022.
Robert Cohen
Cox mentioned, “We anticipate complete dispensaries will be capable to start promoting to grownup use customers as quickly as their license is permitted for conversion.”
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Jack Cardetti, spokesman for the Missouri Medical Hashish Commerce Affiliation, mentioned the timeline “seemingly implies that Missouri can have one of many quickest and smoothest transitions to grownup use gross sales within the nation.”
“It is conceivable that we may begin on Dec. 9 in the event that they received the request and permitted it. I discover that unlikely,” mentioned Mark Hendren, president of Flora Farms. “I discover it extra seemingly that it’s going to take most likely the total 60 days.”
Instructed of the DHSS assertion that the state most likely will not want 60 days, Hendren mentioned, “effectively that will be nice.”
He mentioned “we’re prepared” for legalization. Along with rising hashish, Hendren mentioned Flora operates three dispensaries and is buying two extra.
“Now we have sufficient product in our facility that is able to go or will probably be able to go within the subsequent 60 days,” Hendren mentioned. “We’re prepared to produce everyone.”
The brand new constitutional modification additionally authorizes residence cultivation with a state allow. Cox mentioned the state “will start accepting purposes for grownup use private cultivation throughout or earlier than the primary week of January.”
She mentioned the modification prohibits the division from issuing any new “complete” licenses “for 548 days after December 8, 2022.”
The modification additionally permits for smaller “micro” enterprise licenses.
“The Division will start accepting purposes for microbusinesses throughout or earlier than the primary week of September 2023,” Cox mentioned.
Regardless of many teams and elected officers calling for its defeat, voters permitted Modification 3 on Tuesday by a 53%-to-47% margin.
Missouri is now amongst 21 states which have legalized hashish for leisure use. Maryland voters additionally permitted legalization on Tuesday. Voters in Arkansas, North Dakota and South Dakota rejected comparable measures.
The state printed draft marijuana rules on Thursday and is accepting feedback till Nov. 25.
Missouri voters on Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022, permitted a constitutional modification to legalize the leisure use of marijuana for adults.