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On Tuesday, the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, responsible for managing the state’s marijuana program, announced that it will be accepting applications for the second round of Missouri cannabis business microbusiness licenses through an online platform from April 15th to April 29th. The department plans to issue 48 Missouri cannabis business licenses in July. Per DHSS, Missouri’s microbusiness licenses are exclusively granted to eligible entities and individuals. They are specifically structured to facilitate the involvement of marginalized or underrepresented individuals in the legal marijuana market. With the introduction of microbusiness licenses, Missouri aims to foster inclusivity by enabling marginalized or underrepresented individuals to participate in the industry. These licenses are designed to support small-scale operations and encourage diversity within the market.

A total of 16 random lotteries will take place, covering both wholesaler and retailer applicants, within each of the eight congressional districts in Missouri. MO cannabis business licensing operates through a system of random lotteries, which is supposed to ensure fairness and equal opportunity for wholesalers and retailers across the state’s eight congressional districts.

DHSS guidance for Missouri cannabis business license applicants

Ahead of the second application period, DHSS officials are advising microbusiness applicants of the following:

• Per state law, an entity, which includes individuals, may apply to the Department for and obtain only one license to operate a marijuana microbusiness facility, which may be either a microbusiness dispensary facility or a microbusiness wholesale facility.
• A microbusiness applicant may not have an owner who is also an owner of an existing medical, comprehensive, or another microbusiness marijuana facility license or certification. This limitation ensures everyone who applies has an equal chance at obtaining a microbusiness facility license.
• Winners of microbusiness licenses are to be selected via random lottery drawing. To ensure the integrity of the applicant selection process, the Missouri Lottery will conduct the drawing without reference to the identities of the applicants.
• After the application submission window closes, qualifying applicants will be sorted by congressional district and license type (wholesale or dispensary); then, assigned a sequential applicant identifier within those groups. Each group will be considered its own lottery set, for a total of 16 lottery drawings.
• All timely applications submitted with application fee will be entered into the lottery drawing. Untimely applications, or those submitted without an application fee, will be denied and will not go to lottery.
• Applications submitted into the lottery drawing will be listed in the order drawn within each congressional district. All applicants will receive an email notice prior to being sent to lottery with their applicant identifier.
• The lottery will take place in June 2024. The lottery drawing results will be posted to the department’s website as soon as they are available.

Missouri’s marijuana market has seen significant growth and development, particularly following the legalization of adult-use sales. The state’s Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) oversees the regulatory framework governing cannabis cultivation, distribution, and sales.

Since the launch of adult-use sales in February 2023, licensed dispensaries have reported substantial revenue, exceeding $1.4 billion within the first year. This figure highlights the strong demand for cannabis products in Missouri, with the adult-use segment contributing significantly to overall sales.

Of this total, the adult-use channel contributed over $1.1 billion, as reported by DHSS. As of February 2024 the state had granted approval for 214 adult-use dispensaries to operate, which transitioned from the state’s medical market. However, approval for the first 16 microbusiness dispensary facility licensees to commence operations had not been granted yet. Similarly, the first 32 microbusiness wholesale facilities were also awaiting approval to begin operations.

Overall, Missouri’s marijuana market continues to evolve, driven by regulatory developments, increasing consumer demand, and efforts to promote inclusivity and diversity within the industry.

The Helpful Content helped one of it’s clients win one of 48 licenses previously issued by MO in 2023 and we are ready to help you win an application next!. Don’t hesitate, let’s get started with your Missouri cannabis business license application today.