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34 June 2025
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Back to Medical
According to Epstein, chronic pain affects 50 million U. S. adults; the pain management market is projected to reach $ 115.5 billion by 2031.
The decline in Missouri patient numbers since 2020 is obvious. Pre-adult use sales, the total active Missouri medical patient certifications peaked at 205,897 in November 2022, according to DHSS Patient, Caregiver, & Consumer Data. The first adult use sale was on February 3, 2023; by November 2023, the total patient certifications dropped to 109,812. However, since 2023, patient numbers have increased slightly to 122,166 as of May 14, 2025.
The sales numbers are telling: Medical patient sales in April 2025 were $ 14.78 million, as opposed to $ 111.10 million for adult use.
However, according to Epstein,“ Cannabis brands have spent the last decade prioritizing THC potency and branding over research, development and medical formulations. The result? An industry where patients struggle to find standardized, effective, properly labeled, and well-researched products.”
Missouri operators have taken note and are looking to change the narrative. This month, the industry will launch an initiative called“ Bringing Back The‘ Medical’ In Marijuana: A Wellness Consumer & Market Opportunity.”
MoCannTrade( and its cannabis industry members) say,“ Our Missouri medical cannabis industry was built on the therapeutic and medicinal value this amazing plant provided to Missouri patients. Now that we as an industry have successfully implemented one of the strongest adult use markets in the U. S., we want to revisit opportunities to further expand our market by highlighting the overt value of a wellness minded industry.
“ Attracting and retaining a loyal, wellness-oriented consumer base, particularly aging populations with chronic conditions, may provide resilience against price compression, lack of differentiation and commoditization...”
In part, the initiative will work to develop targeted medical formulations, instead of generic THC / CBD ratios, and create products tailored for specific conditions, like neuropathic pain, inflammation, sleep disorders, and women’ s health. It will invest in research and patient trials; small-scale studies can demonstrate product efficacy without requiring massive budgets. Even limited clinical data can set a brand apart.
The EVOLUTION Magazine will also continue its work to help bridge the gap between Missouri’ s cannabis consumers and Missouri’ s local“ cannabis-friendly” health and wellness care services, in an effort to renew the medical focus in the adult-use industry. We believe cannabis can be an essential part of a day-to-day health routine, and it’ s important to know what other cannabis-friendly care services are available to all locally. Within this issue, you’ ll find a few cannabis-friendly health and wellness services on page 36, a feature story about“ Bringing Back The‘ Medical’ In Marijuana” on page 28, and more health and wellness articles throughout.
Enjoy your month and seek out your state-issued medical card— it will save you money. The Medical sales tax rate on cannabis is 4 %, adult use is 12 %. Additionally, many dispensaries extend steep discount promotions of 25-35 % off to medical patients.
1. https:// www. cannabisbusinesstimes. com / business-issues-benchmarks / medicalcannabis-access-and-pricing / news / 15742138 / the-cannabis-industry-is-failingmedical-patientsand-leaving-billions-on-the-table-opinion