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House committee passes licensing bill for naturopathic doctors in Missouri
A bill that would allow naturopathic doctors to become licensed in Missouri passed its first hurdle Wednesday. The House Professional Registration and Licensing Committee voted 7-2 to advance the bill, sponsored by Republican Rep. Doug Richey of Excelsior Springs. Unlike Kansas and 22 other states, Missouri does not have licensing or registration laws for naturopathic […]
Missouri Supreme Court case could result in ‘dozens’ of new marijuana business licenses
The Missouri Supreme Court heard arguments Thursday in a case marijuana regulators say could force them to issue “dozens” of new licenses to grow, sell and distribute cannabis products above the state’s self-imposed caps. Mo Cann Do Inc. applied for a cultivation license to grow marijuana in 2019. The company was denied when the state […]
Three-day hearing reveals behind-the-scenes details of Missouri marijuana recall
Jack Maritz was working at Delta Extraction, a marijuana manufacturing facility in Robertsville, in February 2023 when the company’s regular state compliance officer stopped by unannounced. The officer, Heather Bilyeu, wanted to make sure Delta had “accurate counts” in the state’s tracking database of how much THC distillate, or concentrated THC oil, they had in […]
Hearing on recall of 60,000 Missouri marijuana products set to begin
Jason Sparks is an Oklahoma man who almost single-handedly created the distillate that led to Missouri regulators’ decision to pull more than 60,000 marijuana products off the shelves in August and revoke the license of Robertsville-based Delta Extraction. Now, he’s the star witness in a hearing scheduled to begin Monday morning, where Delta will try […]
Company continues to argue Missouri cannabis workers can’t unionize
Ahmad Haynes and a handful of employees at BeLeaf Medical’s Sinse Cannabis site in St. Louis anxiously waited for the clock to hit 5 p.m. He and his co-workers had gathered outside the St. Louis Public Library’s Barr branch, where they had cast their votes to unionize earlier that afternoon on Feb. 6. The election […]
Push for restrictions on intoxicating hemp products spurs clash over who should regulate
Missouri lawmakers have heard hours of heated testimony at two hearings in the last week over bills aiming to regulate intoxicating hemp products that get people high the same as marijuana. Currently there’s no state or federal law saying teenagers or children can’t buy products, such as delta-8 drinks, or that stores can’t sell them […]
Naturopathic doctors could become licensed in Missouri under Republican-backed legislation
Emmalyn Pratt has been surrounded by firefighters her whole life, growing up in Kearney, 30 miles northeast of Kansas City. Her father is the local fire chief, and he’s part of a long line of firefighters in the family. “I’ve lived the sacrifices that they make to be away from their families and put their […]
Missouri marijuana revenue will mean nearly $20 million to support veterans this year
The Missouri Veterans Commission will likely receive about $19 million from marijuana sales revenue before the current fiscal year is over on July 1, Amy Moore, director of the Division of Cannabis Regulation, told a House committee this week. Next year it will be $22 million, she said, if the governor’s budget recommendations are approved. […]
Debate over psychedelic therapy returns to Missouri General Assembly
Republican lawmakers are once again pushing legislation that would require Missouri to conduct a clinical study on using psilocybin, more commonly referred to as “magic mushrooms,” to treat depression, substance use or as part end-of-life care. Last year, the House overwhelmingly approved the measure. But it never made it to a final House vote. Hearings […]
Missouri legislators push back on adding marijuana to workers’ compensation law
If Missouri employees ask for workers’ compensation after an on-the-job injury, employers can require them to take a drug test for marijuana. If they test positive — even if they hadn’t consumed marijuana for days — their compensation and death benefit may be reduced by 50%. That didn’t change when Missouri legalized recreational marijuana because […]
Missouri courts request $3.7 million to continue arduous marijuana expungement process
Missouri circuit courts have cleared more than 100,000 marijuana charges from people’s criminal records so far — a mandate that was a big selling point for those who voted to pass the constitutional amendment that legalized recreational marijuana in 2022. However, court officials said it’s hard to determine how many more charges are left because […]
Sprawling new cannabis manufacturing, cultivation facility set to open in St. Louis County
MARYLAND HEIGHTS — Covered in white protective clothing, Wendy Bronfein stepped into a long, sterile hallway of closed doors. She calls it the “Willy Wonka-esque” corridor. “This is the Mike Teavee part of the tour,” said Bronfein, co-founder of the Maryland-based marijuana company Curio Wellness, referencing the character from “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.” Everything […]