Adult-use cannabis in Missouri could be on the horizon, as a local coalition has filed a petition to legalize. The group, Fair Access Missouri, is seeking to legalize cannabis for adults of legal age and create an “open-use market.” 

Missouri Gov. Mike Parson vetoed legislation Friday that would have lifted a prohibition on licensed medical marijuana companies deducting business expenses on their taxes.

In his letter vetoing the measure, Parson didn’t mention the medical marijuana provisions. He said his decision to reject the bill came down to a section lawmakers included that would have provided tax relief for businesses impacted by city-wide or county-wide public health restrictions.

Edibles infused with delta-8 THC, a legal cannabinoid, can be found at numerous shops in the St. Louis area. Delta-8 THC’s ready availability is good news for those looking to catch a buzz who are unable (or unwilling) to purchase medical or recreational marijuana as it becomes increasingly accessible. But what exactly is this new cannabis product, and how did it become so widespread?

Backers of Missouri's successful 2018 ballot measure that legalized medical marijuana say they plan to unveil their next effort — an initiative petition targeting the 2022 ballot to legalize recreational use — by the end of June.

The timing will allow signature collection to begin in August, says John Payne, though he declined to specify details on possession and cultivation limits while the campaign's drafting committee is still finalizing the petition.

Almost half of all individuals who are released from jail or prison in Missouri will be reincarcerated, according to the most recent data. In Illinois, where I used to work with people when they came out of incarceration, the numbers are similar.

There’s a familiar fable we tell ourselves: when someone is released from prison, they’ve “served their time” and can now re-enter society and begin their life anew. This helps us free the broader society from obligation when someone ends up back in jail — we get to tell ourselves they’re just a lost cause and can’t stop breaking the law.

Hemp seed breeders must collaborate with academic-run, varietal trials to tackle hemp’s total THC problem and move the industry forward, says Matt Haddad, CEO of Trilogene Seeds, an award-winning hemp seed breeder.

“Ninety-five percent of all the hemp grown last year was marijuana. It went hot,” Haddad says. “We need to bring more academic analysis to these hemp varietals, especially with the .3 total THC iron fist coming down.”

Lawmakers in the Show Me State just passed a bill that will help with an unfair Missouri cannabis tax law that medical cannabis businesses have been complaining about. If the governor signs off, this will be a huge step for the industry and the state.

Promoters of Medical Cannabis in Missouri said the fledgling business continues to see major success.

Medical Cannabis officials said dispensaries seem to be the only business without a hiring problem.

In fact, they are dealing with the opposite, too many people want to work there.

They said Missouri dispensaries are setting records for tax revenue and it's only going to get better.

The spokesperson for Missouri Medical Cannabis Trade Association, Jack Cardetti, said the revenue has been massive.

Missouri’s medical marijuana industry is faring well since the first dispensaries opened their doors last October. Today, more than 100,000 patients and caregivers use and purchase medical cannabis in the state.

Jack Cardetti, a spokesperson for the Missouri Medical Cannabis Trade Association, noted that there are already more dispensaries in Missouri than in Illinois. He added that one week in April, the industry generated $3.3 million in sales and that the state is about to reach $40 million cumulatively.

The medical marijuana industry in Missouri is booming by most measures on this April 20, or 4/20 as marijuana’s unofficial holiday is called.

The state has processed nearly 93,000 medical marijuana cards; the number of dispensaries rose from 20 last year to 80 so far this year; and the industry has generated more than $32 million in sales since the first dispensary opened in October.