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Missouri ’ s Cannabis Regulators Detail Plans for Early Licensing Microbusinesses
The application window for the first round of microbusiness licenses will be July 27 – August 10 .
When voters approved Amendment 3 in November 2022 , one of the tasks assigned to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services ( DHSS ) was to create a lottery process for granting a limited number of new small business licenses called “ microbusinesses .” Microbusinesses are marijuana facility licenses issued only to eligible entities and individuals and are designed to allow marginalized or under-represented individuals to participate in the legal marijuana market .
Micro Licensing Timeline
There are two types of microbusiness licenses : dispensary and wholesale . 1 . A microbusiness dispensary facility is licensed to engage in the process of dispensing marijuana products for medical or adult use .
2 . A microbusiness wholesale facility is licensed to engage in the process of cultivating and / or manufacturing marijuana products for medical or adult use .
The constitution requires the DHSS to begin accepting microbusiness applications by September 2023 , but in order to serve microbusiness applicants in this new process better , DHSS will begin accepting applications early .
• The application window for the first round of microbusiness licenses will be July 27 – August 10 , 2023 .
• Application forms and instructions are available at htpps :// Cannabis . Mo . Gov .
In October , DHSS will issue , via random lottery drawing , six microbusiness licenses in each of the eight Missouri congressional districts for a total of 48 microbusiness licenses . Of the six in each district , two will be microbusiness dispensaries , and four will be wholesale facilities .
The constitution prohibits the submission of more than one application per drawing . Therefore , an individual or entity may only be listed on one application , regardless of the amount of ownership interests . This limitation ensures everyone who applies has an equal chance at a microbusiness license .
To ensure the integrity of the random drawing , the Missouri Lottery will conduct the drawing without reference to the identities of the applicants using certified software to produce random results .
For more information about microbusiness licensing and application requirements , visit htpps :// Cannabis . Mo . Gov . Scan the QR to view via cell phone .
See more details about microbusinesses on pages 32 and 38 . 10 JULY 2023