Missouri Department of Health & Senior Services discuss marijuana microbusiness licenses

JEFFERSON CITY Mo (KMIZ)

On Wednesday morning, the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services met to go over the process and timeline for awarding marijuana microbusiness licenses.

The licenses are a way for underrepresented individuals to legally engage in the marijuana market. The department will provide six licenses to each of the eight Missouri congressional districts beginning in October of this year, for a total of 48 licenses.

A local vegetable farmer, Brett Ishler, is looking to apply for a micro business license and he shared why it a license like this is so important for underrepresented communities.

"It's hard to even get into it for low income in general. Cannabis is a big numbers game really, so the options are to go to work for one of the big ones and get paid 14 an hour or try to stay at the grassroots level." Ishler said.

Of the six licenses the department will provide, two will be microbusiness dispensary licenses and four will be microbusiness wholesale licenses. Those who obtain a dispensary license will be allowed to dispense marijuana for medical or adult use. Those with a wholesale license can cultivate or grow up to 250 flowering plants at a time for medical or adult use.

The state will also issue 48 additional licenses next year and 48 more in 2025.

Those who apply will have to meet at least one of the following requirements in order to be eligible:

• Have a net worth of less than $250,000 and have had an income below 250% percent of the federal poverty level
• Have a valid service-connected disability card issued by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs or successor agency
• Reside in a ZIP code or census tract area where 30% or more of the population lives below the federal poverty level

Additional requirements can be found here.

The department will begin accepting applications on its website from July 27 - Aug. 10.

The state will meet Wednesday morning at 11 a.m. at city hall in Jefferson City to discuss the microbusiness licenses.