From
Editor
There have been many exciting evolutions within the Missouri cannabis industry since the first dispensary opened in October 2020 . A new year has dawned , and we ’ re now in our sixth year of offering readers The EVOLUTION Magazine focused on “ Health , Wellness , and Education .” In the early days ( 2019 ), health and wellness information about medical cannabis was very important primarily because from 2020 through 2023 , to purchase cannabis in Missouri legally , you needed a medical “ Patient ID card .” Then , the industry evolved again when Missouri voters approved Amendment 3 in November 2022 , which legalized sales and possession of cannabis for adults 21 and older . The first dispensary sale of adult-use cannabis in Missouri began on February 3 , 2023 . Many , many more people became curious about cannabis , and the evolution of the industry exploded .
Today , people continue to seek health , wellness , and education information . In December , the DHSS reported the “ Total Active Patient Certifications ” at 118,892 , an increase from the previous month ’ s report . Patients continue to seek help for health-related issues for everything from insomnia , PTSD , pain , and anxiety to managing behavioral and mental symptoms of dementia . Many of these health issues and the potential aid cannabis can offer have been or will be covered within these pages , thanks to writer Peter Kershaw in his monthly columns ( see page 24 ). This year , we hope to dive deeper into the possible benefits cannabis offers patients as more clinical trials are performed worldwide , including here in Missouri .
Perhaps the most interesting and advantageous evolution over the past few years of the state ’ s industry is in cultivation . In 2019 , when cultivation businesses began growing cannabis for medical use , “ allegedly ,” there was no cannabis in Missouri , and companies were not allowed to purchase clone plants or seeds from outside of the state . Instead , the state used the term “ Immaculate Conception ,” allowing cultivation businesses to commence growing . Basically , don ’ t ask , don ’ t tell . Hey , you gotta start growing plants somehow !
While cultivators certainly got rolling with good products for consumers in the early days , today , products are miles away from what was offered in 2019-2020 in terms of selections , variety , and quality . Today , genetics and pheno-hunting are at the forefront of the race to provide consumers the best possible cannabis options . Now , if you ’ re already a cannabis connoisseur , these terms are familiar . If not , this is where the “ Education ” portion of the magazine can help you . In future issues , we ’ ll explore topics like “ What the heck is phenohunting ?” We ’ ll dive deeper , but basically , pheno-hunting is a rigorous process to discover the highest quality plants for cultivation or breeding . The hunt sometimes requires years of intense observations of multiple generations of cannabis plant breeding to achieve optimal results . Missouri companies like VIBE Cannabis ( see story on page 32 ) are intently on the hunt for superior phenos in a quest to provide consumers with the highest quality products . I , look forward to learning more about this topic , as well .
Terpenes ( aromas and flavors of cannabis ) also play a substantial role in health and wellness and can play a vital role in the entourage effect , maximizing your therapeutic experience . Understanding terpenes will also help when shopping for the best cannabis products for your needs . See Leah Maurer ’ s article on page 12 .
Happy New Year ! Stay tuned for more about seeds , genetics , pheno-hunting , and home-growing tips in future issues .
6 January 2025
From
The
Editor
Bill Cromwell , Editor-in-Chief
A New Year and More Evolutions
Missouri ’ s First Educational Medical Cannabis Magazine Published Monthly by Native Kansas City , MO , Advocates , Publishers and Writers . A True Missouri Born Grassroots Effort to Educate and Inform Patients , and to Provide Businesses within The Missouri Cannabis Industry an Economical Forum to Share Their Story . We hope you join and enjoy “ The EVOLUTION .” Since 2019
PUBLISHER , EDITOR-IN-CHIEF : Bill Cromwell News , Articles , Advertisement , & Requests Should Email to : Bill . C @ TheEvolutionMag . com Corporate Office 816.886.9017 Kansas City , MO Mail to : P . O . Box 485 , Grain Valley , MO 64029
MANAGING EDITOR , VP OF OPERATIONS : Victoria Cromwell Subscription inquiries / updates to : Victoria . c @ theevolutionmag . com DIRECTOR MARKETING and EDITORIAL DEVELOPMENT : Clayton Stallings CREATIVE DESIGNER , GRAPHIC ARTS and EDITORIAL : Bill Cromwell PHOTOGRAPHY by : Clayton Stallings , Guests photography and Zach Smith of Altered Focus Studio
Our Team of Dedicated Cannabis Industry Writers
● Mitch Alexander ― Product Profiles of The Month
● Dana Cunningham — Cooking with CBD and THC
● Ari Fish — Contributing Guest Writer
● Dolores Halbin , RN — Patient Advocate and Awareness
● Tara Holm — Wellness Education
● Peter Kershaw — Health and Wellness Columnist
● Leah Maurer — Cannabis Knowledge , Ask Leah Columnist
● Jay Richardson ― Patient Features
● Monthly Guest Writers — Cannabis News & Feature Stories
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