Missouri Representative files bill that would award medical marijuana business licenses to all applicants

On Tuesday, Representative Peter Merideth, D-St. Louis, filed legislation that would push aside the licensing limits implemented by Missouri medical marijuana regulators. 

While there are no limits to the number of licenses that can be issued, the Constitutional Amendment that Missouri voters approved which became Article XIV of the state’s Constitution required a minimum number of licenses to be issued based on population data. Since the inception of the program, state regulators have used that guideline as a framework for license issuance.

HB 2540 would require the Section for Medical Marijuana Regulation to “issue a license to any applicant who meets minimum standards for the license for which the applicant applies.”

The only perceived exemption would be in cases that would create a conflict with existing regulations regarding substantial common control. 

The bill would also require SMMR to turn over identifying information of licensees at the request of a committee of the general assembly. The scope of that information would include, “ identifying information of any entities holding licenses, the ownership structure of any such entities, and identifying information of individual owners of, or any other individuals with a financial or controlling interest in, any such entities.”

    

Missouri currently has 57 of 62 required cultivation licenses, 85 of 88 required manufacturing facilities, and 202 of 192 required dispensary licenses issued. Originally, only 60 cultivation licenses and 86 manufacturing licenses were required to be issued. A rise in Missouri’s population created new constitutional minimums for medical marijuana licenses. All of the required licenses were originally issued, but some are no longer active.

“The total number of active licenses has fluctuated over time as licenses were surrendered or revoked and openings were filled with new licensees. The amount of time between when an opening occurs and when it is filled is just a matter of the time it takes to work through each new license issuance,” Lisa Cox, Communications Director for Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, explained.

Currently, 45 cultivation licenses, 61 manufacturing licenses, and 183 dispensary licenses are approved to operate.

Missouri has more than 1 operational dispensary for every 1000 active patients in the state.

Read the full text of the bill below.