The new recreational marijuana law in Missouri, which goes into effect on December 8, doesn’t affect would-be recreational customers very much at this time unless they are one of the nearly 200,000 medicinal marijuana patients in the state.
In order to officially join the recreational market, marijuana firms have until today to file the necessary papers with state regulators. The time required for that sort of approval is likely to be many weeks.
Buying Marijuana in Missouri Still Requires a Valid Id. Dec. 8
CEO of Clover Cannabis, who was also instrumental in pushing the ballot issue that legalized recreational marijuana, Josh Mitchem, claimed that sales might begin as early as mid-January.
Mid-January sales would make Mitchem very delighted, as it would suggest state authorities had met their Constitutional deadline of early February.
Once people of legal age may buy marijuana from dispensaries, he anticipates a surge in the number of medicinal marijuana users from the current 200,000 to at least 800,000.
As Mitchem put it, “there just weren’t enough patients to handle the number of licensees that we have,” thus the recreational legalization of cannabis in Missouri will be a lifesaver for many of the state’s cannabis businesses. Seeing the increased revenue and new consumers from all the licensees will practically save our company, as most of us are breaking even or losing money every month.
Read More: Why Marijuana Users in Missouri Will Still Require a Card to Purchase Dec 8.!
Mitchem claims to have learned on Wednesday that the database used to keep tabs on medical marijuana transactions was updated, allowing patients to possess up to six ounces of the drug for therapeutic purposes.
Since sales have not yet begun, it will still be a problem to be caught with the product even if, as of the 8th of December, adults who are not medical patients will be allowed to possess up to three ounces.
Mitchem noted that the police may argue that the suspect’s possession of six ounces of marijuana was illegal since he lacked a valid medicinal marijuana card.
Read More: Legislators in Ohio Hear Testimony on A Bill to Legalize Recreational Marijuana Use.!
His Recommendation Is to Hold Off until The Regulated Market Opens in Around 45 Days.
The delay buys time for city council members like Kansas City’s Eric Bunch and their peers to figure out how to implement the new regulations.
Officials in each municipality will now have the option of imposing a 3 percent sales tax on recreational marijuana and designating public use areas. This allows for the development of the Smokey River Entertainment District in a small, one-of-a-kind town to the north of the Missouri River.
Adults can’t light up in bars or other places where alcohol is served, and they can’t light up anywhere smoking tobacco is prohibited.
“You can’t stroll down the street with a beer in your hand, and you can’t light up in the park,” Bunch remarked. Consumption of alcoholic beverages in public settings is typically only allowed with a valid permit or on private property.
Read More: Biden’s Health Secretary Announces New Marijuana Scheduling Plans Again at 4:20!
The University of Missouri issued a reminder on Wednesday that cannabis usage remains prohibited on university-owned land. A new set of guidelines that govern the recreational growing, processing, and selling procedures are anticipated to be released by the Department of Health and Senior Services on Thursday.
