JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Curious as to the location of those who have prefiled application fees for dispensaries, cultivation, and manufacturing facilities? The state now has a map for that.
And once applications officially roll in and are approved, that feature will show where dispensaries, cultivation, and manufacturing facilities are located.
The feature, an online interactive map, was rolled out on Tuesday by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS). The map breaks down the 543 pre-filed application fees on a per county, per prospective licensee basis.
As of Tuesday, a total of 543 pre-filed application forms and fees totaling $3,886,000 have been received by DHSS. Of those, 157 are for cultivation facilities, 301 for dispensary facilities, and 85 for medical marijuana-infused manufacturing facilities. Specific data now who has pre-filed an application fee is not available to the public.
The department warned — since the official application process does not begin until August — there is no guarantee the current numbers will be representative of where actual proposed facilities will be positioned.
“Although these numbers are not at all final, we hope this information will give potential applicants, as well as cities and counties, some perspective on the field of applicants in their respective areas,” Lyndall Fraker, director of DHSS Section for Medical Marijuana Regulation, said in a news release.
In April, the state determined the top-scoring 60 cultivation facilities, 192 dispensary facilities, and 86 medical marijuana-infused manufacturing facilities will be initially licensed for business in Missouri.
The numbers are the same as the amount set by the Missouri Constitution. The limits exceed the number of pre-filed application fees and exceed the amount a recently-released study projects the industry will support.
Applications for medical marijuana facilities will be accepted by the state from August 3 to August 17. Prior to the start of the application process, DHSS said it will release a facility application instructional video which will allow applicants to preview the online application before submitting an application and reference the video guide throughout the application submission process.
Missourians approved a constitutional amendment legalizing medical marijuana in November 2018. The amendment allows physicians to recommend marijuana or marijuana-related products to treat certain conditions, including PTSD, seizures, cancer, epilepsy, and other “chronic, debilitating” symptoms.
DHSS finalized the rules for the budding program last month and rolled out the applications in early June. The department is set to begin accepting patient and caregiver applications on Friday and facility applications on August 3.
More information about the implementation of Missouri’s medical marijuana program can be found at medicalmarijuana.mo.gov.
Alisha Shurr was a reporter for The Missouri Times and The Missouri Times Magazine. She joined The Missouri Times in January 2018 after working as a copy editor for her hometown newspaper in Southern Oregon. Alisha is a graduate of Kansas State University.
