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Missouri cannabis regulators target ‘lab shopping’ in new rules
In the marijuana industry, they say potency is king. Producers all over the country are competing to put the most intoxicating product on the shelves. And that can leave the labs who test these products in a tough spot. At least, that’s been the case in California and other states where marijuana is legal, said […]
State faces pushback from Missouri marijuana industry over product recall
Twice this summer, Andrew Mullins emailed state marijuana regulators to make sure they knew about a potential problem. Mullins, the president of the Missouri Cannabis Trade Association, feared that licensed Missouri cannabis companies may be tempted to add illegal marijuana products brought in from other states to their own products in order to keep their […]
Missouri regulators can now subpoena records from marijuana facilities
If state regulators decide they need to investigate a licensed marijuana facility, they typically ask for certain records. But an easy place for businesses to “hide” records is with their security companies or other contractors, said Amy Moore, director of the state’s cannabis regulation under the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. Those “third-party […]
Marijuana businesses could lose license if events they organize go awry
As Missouri went to celebrate the first 4/20 after the state legalized recreational marijuana, a licensed cannabis business in Kansas City organized a huge festival. For the first time, people were able to smoke pot openly at a large public event in Missouri, with approval under local government rules. “It was the first of its […]
Divide over lack of Black ownership in Missouri marijuana bubbles up in radio debate
When it comes to racial equity, state Rep. Ashley Bland Manlove of Kansas City and St. Louis City NAACP President Adolphus Pruitt typically land on the same side. But on Amendment 3— the constitutional amendment that legalized recreational marijuana in November — they couldn’t be further apart. On Monday morning, they both appeared on KCUR […]
Missouri official vows to conduct survey on cannabis business demographics
For the first time, a state official has publicly vowed to push for a demographics survey of cannabis business owners — addressing a key criticism of the medical marijuana program that the Black community was left out of the burgeoning billion-dollar industry. At a June 22 outreach event in St. Louis, Abigail Vivas, chief equity […]
Missouri governor signs bills impacting cannabis banking, employee background checks
Missouri’s marijuana businesses will have fewer obstacles when it comes to accessing banking, but they must now get fingerprint background checks from all their new employees and contractors, under legislation that the governor signed on Thursday. Few banks nationwide serve cannabis businesses and their owners — or even their auxiliary partners — because most want […]
Missouri holds outreach events in run up to cannabis microbusiness license lottery
Missouri’s cannabis industry is the new “gold rush,” said St. Louis couple Tiffany and Anwar Lee, and they’re considering buying a ticket for the lottery to get in. Their ticket is a $1,500 application fee for a spot in a lottery making them eligible for a limited number of cannabis microbusiness licenses, and it’s refundable […]
Missouri to be testing ground on plain packaging for cannabis products
For decades, there’s been a global movement urging “plain packaging” on tobacco products — or packaging with limited colors and frills — after numerous studies found it makes cigarettes less appealing to young people. Missouri will soon be a testing ground to see if plain packaging has the same impact for recreational marijuana. When voters […]
Missouri ‘micro’ cannabis license rules limit review of jail data to 20 years
In St. Louis in the 1980s, if you got caught with even a “butt of a joint,” you were going to do jail time, said Bob Ramsey, who was assistant public defender at the time. Ramsey particularly remembers the head of the prosecutor’s marijuana task force, under then-Circuit Attorney George Peach. “She was just absolutely […]
Juneteenth events grow statewide, as advocates celebrate progress on reparations
As Missourians go out to celebrate Juneteenth this weekend and commemorate the end of slavery in the United States, local advocates say they may feel a new sense of hope brewing. In the past year, the state’s two major cities, St. Louis and Kansas City, have established reparations commissions. These groups of community members are […]
Where does the revenue from Missouri marijuana sales and license fees go?
Since Missouri’s marijuana sales began in 2019, the state has collected nearly $100 million in revenue from taxes and program fees, according to state authorities. Etched in the state’s constitution is a road map for where the revenue can go. The first stop is operational costs. By law, any expense it takes to run both […]