Columbia Recreational Marijuana Sales Stopped; Awaiting City Council Approval!

If the regulations proposed by the city are passed at Monday’s council meeting, adults over the age of 21 in Columbia would be able to buy recreational marijuana as early as Tuesday. On Friday, the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services adopted an emergency rule allowing dispensaries throughout the state to begin selling marijuana with a valid state license.

However, not every business in Missouri is guaranteed approval just because it has a license from the state. Columbia is one of the Missouri municipalities that need a city license in addition to DHSS clearance. On Monday, the City Council of Columbia is expected to vote on new requirements for marijuana business licenses.

Missouri dispensaries have seen a two- to three-fold surge in clients, according to Green ReLeaf Cannibas CEO and founder Jay Patel. Only in Columbia, Missouri, have they been unable to sell recreationally on the weekends, despite having stores in Troy, Mexico, Moberly, Nevada, Lee’s Summit, and Liberty.

The revenue for the first four days of the frenzy was gone, Patel said. There was a time when “we had to turn down and tell them if you want to purchase, you know, go to any other locations that are selling recreational at the moment.”

On December 8, dispensaries that already had a medical license were eligible to apply for a new, more expansive license. With this license, Missouri dispensaries can sell cannabis to adults over the age of 21 for recreational purposes.

It was reported by DHSS spokesman Lisa Cox that more than 90% of dispensaries, including the majority of Green ReLeaf firms, submitted their applications on the first day they were available to do so. Patel speculated that “something must have clicked” on Friday.

We should expect an increase in visitors and revenue as well as some minor difficulties. But those are all problems that can be fixed, and that’s excellent for business. In the midterm election, Amendment 3 was first approved. Beginning in early December, it is no longer a crime for anybody over the age of 21 in Missouri to be in possession of up to three ounces of marijuana.