Missouri has 3rd best opening sales month ever among recreationally Legal Cannabis states
Cannabis sales in the newly-legal recreational cannabis state of Missouri are off to a scintillating start.
The Show Me State registered $102.9 million is consolidated medical & adult-use sales in its first full month post-legalization—the third highest aggregate total ever recorded by a single state in an opening month. Only California and Arizona did better (both with larger populations), pointing to a healthy in-state appetite for cannabis products.
On November 8 2022, Missouri Amendment 3, the cannabis legalization initiative, was approved by voters and subsequently passed into law. The initiative is legalized the purchase, possession, consumption, use, delivery, manufacturing, and sale of cannabis for personal use for adults over the age of 21. Prior to the 2022 election, possession of only 10 grams or more of cannabis was punishable as a criminal misdemeanor and punishable by fine.
The strong rollout has benefitted from a well-administered medical cannabis program, established in 2018, with the first dispensaries opening in late 2020. The program is overseen by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) and aims to provide patients with qualifying medical conditions access to medical marijuana as a treatment option.
While Missouri’s medical cannabis program has also been praised for its strong regulations and testing requirements, it is considered conservative compared to others. Prior to legalization, its medical cannabis program was generally regarded as one of the more restrictive programs in the United States. This is owing to a limited list of qualifying medical conditions, and limited number of dispensaries and cultivation facilities, which have impaired access.
But with the DHSS issuing licenses to 207 dispensaries in February, the access issue soon aims to become a distant memory. Licenses were also issued to 72 manufacturers and 56 cultivation facilities.
