More Than 2,000 Applicants Apply For Cannabis Microbusiness

More than 2,000 applications poured in for one of the 57 microbusiness licenses available in Missouri’s cannabis drawings.

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services announced that it received 2,083 applications, of which 734 were for wholesale and 1,349 for dispensaries.

There will be a total of 33 wholesale and 24 dispensary facility licenses awarded. Licenses are expected to be awarded by the end of July.

Between July and September, minimum standards and eligibility review of awarded licenses will be conducted.

This is the second of three rounds of licenses to be awarded, per Article XIV, Section 2 of the Missouri Constitution.

Nine of the licenses are available from the first round, which were revoked for rule violations.

The microbusiness licenses were part of the 2022 constitutional amendment passed by Missouri voters that legalized recreational cannabis in Missouri.

Medical marijuana was passed via constitutional amendment four years prior.

The licenses allow people from marginalized or underrepresented populations to participate in the legal marijuana market.

Each of Missouri’s eight United States congressional districts have 24 dispensary applications approved for licenses, per the amendment.

Eligibility for a microbusiness license must meet at least one of the criteria; a net worth less than $250,000 and an income below 250 percent of the federal poverty level; affected by non-violent marijuana drug charges; reside in disadvantaged ZIP codes; be a veteran with a service-connected disability; graduated from a school district that was unaccredited or have previously lived in a ZIP code with an unaccredited school district.

Applicants who are not drawn by lottery in the second round are eligible to reapply during the third round, which begins in 2025. 

DHSS said additionally, applicants not drawn by lottery will be able to request a refund of the original application fee.

Refunds may be granted if the applicant certifies they have met the criteria for a license and have no pending or future litigation.