The Department of Health and Human Services announced Tuesday that it will begin accepting applications early for the state’s marijuana microbusiness program.
Application windows for the first round of applications will run from July 27th through April 10th. Application forms and instructions will be available in advance on the department’s website by June 6. health.mo.gov/safety/cannabis/.
Amendment 3 was added to the Missouri Constitution in December 2022 to legalize recreational marijuana. With this amendment, DHSS has until September to start accepting applications for micro businesses.
“This is the first implementation of a new applicant type, an application type directed to provide technical assistance and other resources to help eligible applicants successfully navigate the process,” Cannabis said. said Missouri Division of Regulatory Director Amy Moore. He said. “We want to do everything in our power to ensure that we meet that responsibility, and giving more time to the application processing period is one way to do that.”
DHSS will issue a total of 48 microbusiness licenses in a lottery in October. That’s six in each of her eight congressional districts in the state. The Missouri Lottery draws lots using software that generates random results.
more:Marijuana Microbusinesses: What Are They and How Do They Work?
There are two types of micro business licenses: dispensing licenses and wholesale licenses. A microbusiness dispensing facility license allows businesses to dispense marijuana products for both medical and recreational use. A Microbusiness Wholesale Facility License allows a company to grow and/or manufacture medical and recreational marijuana products. Of the six licenses initially assigned to each congressional district, two will be clinics and four will be wholesale facilities.
Another 48 licenses will be awarded 9 months after the first 48 licenses have been distributed. Then another nine months later, there will be a third round of 48 licenses. By April 2025, 144 microbusiness licenses will be awarded.
Who is eligible for a Micro Business License?
Microbusiness license applicants must meet at least one of the following criteria:
- Have net worth less than $250,000 and income less than 250% of the federal poverty level.
- I have a valid service-related disability card issued by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
- A person who has been arrested, charged with, or convicted of a non-violent marijuana offense, or a parent or guardian.
- Live in a zip code or census tract where 30% or more of the population lives below the federal poverty level, have an unemployment rate 50% higher than the state average, or have a past incarceration rate for marijuana-related offenses 50% higher state average than state average; or
- Graduated from an unlicensed school district or lived in a zip code with an unlicensed school.
How much does it cost to apply for a Micro Business License?
Under the Third Amendment, an application for a microbusiness license is $1,500 per entity. An individual can only apply for her one microbusiness license at a time. If the entity is not selected by the Missouri lottery system, this fee will be refunded to him within six months from the date of denial.
