Missouri Cannabis and Marijuana License

Missouri is one of the US states that have mixed rules for cannabis use and cultivation. To find more details, read the Missouri cannabis and marijuana license guide.

History of Missouri Cannabis and Marijuana License

As was mentioned above, the state has various rules and regulations for cannabis use, cultivation, and delivery. To clarify, the use of weed is not legal for users currently. Yet, registered patients are eligible to have a certain amount of cannabis.

The process of legalization was set up in 2014. SB 491 stated that the possession of fewer than 10 grams was not a serious crime. The offender could get a $250 to $1000 penalty. If the possession exceeded the usual quantity, custody was inevitable.

In 2018 “Amendment 2” entered into force. The bill introduced the medical marijuana program. It allowed patients with certain types of diseases to apply for registration.

Medical program

If you want to have the right to buy and use weed for medical goals, first get a medical card. Getting a medical card starts with finding an appropriate physician. The latter will have a consultation with you. As a result, the doctor will reveal whether you have one or more of the qualifying conditions.

Qualifying conditions

• Glaucoma
• Epilepsy
• A persistent illness that provokes ongoing pain. It may include Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, and Tourette’s syndrome
• Intractable migraines unresponsive to other treatment
• Huntington’s disease
• Cancer
• Cachexia
• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
• Crohn’s disease
• Inflammatory bowel disease
• Obtained immunodeficiency syndrome or human immunodeficiency virus
• Enfeebling or other medical disorder, with but not limited to, hepatitis C based on the professional decision of a therapist
• Neuropathies
• Autism
• Debilitating psychiatric disorders
• Alzheimer’s disease
• Sickle cell anemia
• A terminal illness
• A persistent illness, cured by a medication that might cause dependence.

In general, a doctor decides whether the medical use of cannabis can effectively treat that condition. It may also be a reliable option for medication.

How to Apply for a Missouri Cannabis and Marijuana License?

After the licensed physician certifies you to apply for the program, pass to the next step. Minor patients can have an additional registration form. They should assign an adult guardian on their behalf.

A parent or another caregiver should present the patient’s license number. The patient will get the number as soon as the department approves of the claim. The latter will complete the registration process and be the representative of the minor.

It is worth mentioning that there are two alternatives for getting medical cannabis. Patients, who need a regular four-ounce dose of cannabis, apply for a standard form of a doctor’s approval. Those, who need more, should apply for an alternative certification form. In this case, two various doctors view the qualifying conditions. After the consultation, they decide whether the patient needs more or not.

Registration

The next step is to register through the “Complia” application portal. To start registering for your ID card, click on the “patient/caregiver” button. To complete the registration, submit the application form. You can find it on the official website of the Health and senior service of Missouri. Take notes that the department accepts website registrations only. No in-person or mail registration is available.

Afterward, create an application. Fill in the necessary data and wait. It generally takes up to a month to get an answer from the department.

Once you become a registered patient, you can buy cannabis from state-licensed dispensaries. The Swade dispensary is one of them. It works with clinics that give medical cannabis certificates. The retail centers of Swade dispensary are in St. Peters, Grove, Ellisville, as well as on Cherokee Street and Delmar Boulevard.

Take notes that registered patients can use medical cannabis in the form of plants, flowers, edibles, and seedlings.

How to apply for a physician registration?

Physicians should also get licenses to have the right of qualifying patients. The registration of a physician should start 30 days before the patient applies for his identification card. To apply for the certification, physicians should provide the following information:

• Physician’s name and surname
• Clinic address, his contacts (including phone number and email address)
• Physician’s certificate number
• Complete info about the qualifying patient (including their full name, ID number)
• The list of patient’s qualifying diseases
• Recommendation about the amount of cannabis to use

Fees

A caregiver or a patient should pay no more than a non-refundable application fee of $25. Physician’s certificate costs vary between $75 to $125. Renewal fees cost less.

After registrants get their medical cards, they can propose the legal amount of weed. That is 4 ounces. Yet, they will be fined if caught with the use of more than that. Along with a $200 penalty, their card will be invalidated. If registered patients or caregivers withdraw hashish illegally, their card will be unavailable. According to the renewed Act, the use of more than 10 grams by a non-registered person entails a fine of $500.

If non-registered people grow up to 35 grams of weed, they might be fined. It is a Class-D offense. A punishment of $10000 and 4 years of jail is possible.

Growing more than 35 Cultivating is a class C felony. Non-registered people can get from three to ten years of jail. A $1000 fine is also probable.

Does the state of Missouri accept medical cards from other states? The answer is no. If you want to be a legal user of cannabis, you should live in Missouri.

Dispensary Certificate of Missouri Cannabis and Marijuana License

In 2020 the state of Missouri first gave dispensary licenses to entities, who wanted to operate cannabis businesses. Although the number of dispensary licenses is limited up to 192, recently 29 of them have been invalidated. Thus, later there might be chances for other companies and entities to get dispensary licenses. That is why we present rules and regulations for the licensure of business certificates.

Accordingly, to be ready for a possible dispensary license application, take these steps. Firstly, you should be a Missouri resident for at least a year. The majority of cannabis business shares should belong to state residents. Moreover, no owner or participant of the entity should have a criminal background.

Note that all the types of licenses are valid for three years. The entities should renew their licenses within 150 days before the expiration date. The department requires application and renewal costs, as well as yearly fees for the given licenses.

Dispensary license instruction

Within six months of applying all interested parties should pass a criminal history check. The state Highway patrol handles the procedure. To start a criminal history check, register with Missouri Automated Criminal History Site. The results will be ready within 1-5 business days. The patrol’s office will send them to the medical cannabis program, not to the applicant.

If an entity or a company wants to apply for a dispensary license, a non-refundable fee of $6,000 is necessary. Any entity or company can qualify for up to 5 dispensary licenses. The annual fee for a dispensary license is $10000.

Grower’s license

Home cultivation for registered patients is also available in Missouri. That is the best option for patients, who do not want to buy any product from a dispensary but to grow it themselves. However, there are several restrictions growers must follow. That will help them to avoid any illegal activity.

Above all, registered patients should grow weed only for themselves. Delivery to others is a crime punished by state law. Patients can cultivate up to six male plants, no more than 6 female plants, and six clones at once. Two patients can grow 12 male and female plants and clones in one place.

At this point, patients should grow the plants in locked areas. It refers to glasshouses, houses, garages, and other locked facilities. Furthermore, the locations should have padlocks or other safety devices. That will allow only patients or other licensed persons to enter the location. Open-air areas might also serve for weed cultivation with several regulations. Accordingly, viewers from next-door property should not be able to see the weed plan from ground level.

That is why they should be closed completely by wooden planks, wire mesh fences. except for the base. No one should be able to have access from the top.

Growers should label their products by their name. It must not be difficult to read.

Labels must contain the following information:

• All active and inactive components
• The title of the growing location (in case it is a dried product)
• Name of the processor (in case it is a permeate product)
• Concentration per dose
• Estimated duration of effect
• Instructions for use
• The weight of the package. Listed in grams for concentrates. Listed in ounces or grams for the dried plant.
• Dosage amounts

How to apply for the grower’s license?

Once you get a Missouri medical card, you can apply for the grower’s license. Must be remembered that you will have to pay an extra $100 fee for the license.

To be eligible for a grower’s license, provide this information:

• Proof about the security of the area. To clarify, you should prove that it is locked.
• A detailed description of the location.