Is marijuana legal in Missouri? Medically, yes, but not recreationally. Is marijuana going to be legal in Missouri? Well, with the way things are going, we’re confident that 2023 or 2024 have promising plans for adult-use cannabis. Let’s explain.
What We Know
The people of Missouri approved medical marijuana via a citizens’ ballot initiative back in 2018, pulling in 66% of the votes for the course.
In 2020, similar attempts were made to get adult-use Missouri cannabis legalization on the ballots. Unfortunately, the pandemic struck, and the world stood still – so did the campaign. Then, in 2021, the organization Legal Missouri 2022 resumed the push for the campaign again. And, finally, on August 27, 2021, the office of the Missouri Secretary of State approved the circulation for the legalization of recreational Missouri marijuana.
At the moment, two organizations are pushing for the legalization of marijuana in MO: Legal Missouri 2022 and Fair Access Missouri. Each provides petitions that call on citizens to sign and get the state’s constitution amended to allow adults legal access to marijuana.
Their proposals vary slightly. And, although Legal MO 2022 seems to have a head start, it’s too early to determine which organization would win the ballot.
LEARN MORE: Missouri Medical Marijuana FAQs
A Better Chance at Amending Missouri Marijuana Use Laws via Ballot Initiatives
With medical marijuana finally legal in Missouri, one might think that gives room for seamless legalization of adult-use medical Missouri cannabis. While that might seem like the next step, there is a significant loophole with that thought. Currently, Missouri has a Republican-dominated legislative branch that opposes weed legalization.
Getting the state to legalize medical marijuana was quite a task, and the state’s governor, Mike Parson, opposes the notion of legalization going beyond medical marijuana. The instance of stronger opposition within the legislative branch indicates an apparent difficulty in amending Missouri marijuana laws through the legislature.
Hence, the two organizations who have expressed confidence in legal adult-use Missouri cannabis are taking their proposals to the citizens. If both organizations can get the signatures, their initiatives will feature in the ballots in November 2022.
The Fair Access Missouri proposal varies in some ways from the Legal Missouri 2022’s proposal.
Is Marijuana Going to be Legal in Missouri via Legal Missouri 2022’s Proposal?
Legal MO 2022 has until May 8, 2022, to gather 170,000 votes from six of Missouri’s eight congressional districts. While the process is a tasking one, the organization’s campaign manager John Payne believes it’s doable. He points to the safe assumption that Missourians would give their maximum support.
The main points of the initiative aiming to amend Missouri cannabis laws are highlighted below.
Modification of the Missouri Medical Marijuana Program
The legalization of recreational cannabis will not nullify the medical marijuana program. Instead, the program would be more accessible and better serve patients. Some of the notable amendments include:
- Reduction of MMJ card fee to $25 with an increase in validity from one to three years.
- Certifying nurses to be able to recommend medical marijuana alongside doctors. Hopefully, driving down the cost patients bear when trying to get a recommendation.
- The definitions of marijuana products would be expanded to allow a wider variety of more potent products for patients.
Expungement Program
With the legalization of recreational marijuana, the Legal MO 2022 initiative proposes the automatic expungement of past nonviolent marijuana-related convictions.
That is, those seeking expungement won’t have to hire lawyers and petition the state – as is the case in most other states. Instead, they would complete simple paperwork to get their conviction records expunged right away.
Taxes and Local Authorizations
The initiative aims for recreational marijuana products to be generally taxed at 6%. However, local governments may apply additional sales taxes up to 3%.
The tax revenues are intended to cover administrative costs and automatic expungements, with any surpluses going into drug addiction treatment, veterans’ healthcare, and the state’s public defender system.
Additionally, local governments can opt out of recreational marijuana legalization via a voting system.
A Transparent and Inclusive Cannabis Industry
The initiative aims to randomly select license holders via a lottery system, in contrast to behind-the-curtain selection done in most states.
The Legal MO 2022 proposal also indicates an interest in making the Missouri cannabis industry more inclusive. They would accomplish this by providing license opportunities for small businesses with less than $250,000 net worth and encouraging participation from individuals from communities and populations most affected by the war on marijuana.
Is Marijuana Going to be Legal in Missouri via Fair Access Missouri?
If Fair Access Missouri’s initiative makes it to the ballots alongside Legal MO 2022, then voters would have to decide their preference between the two initiatives. Although the initiative is somewhat similar, some slight differences exist.
The main points of the initiative aiming to amend Missouri cannabis laws are highlighted below.
Modification of the Medical Marijuana Program
The initiative proposes for patients to be able to cultivate up to 50 sq ft. of unlimited flowering plants and for multiple caregivers and patients to cultivate up to 5,000 sq. ft. of shared cultivation space. Patients could possess up to one year supply of the harvested cannabis.
In addition, this would drop medical card fees to only $25 per year.
A Robust Cannabis Industry
Fair Access Missouri fixates on creating a robust Missouri marijuana market by creating an open market that allows unlimited licensing for various recreational cannabis facilities. And commercial facilities can apply to permit the consumption of cannabis and cannabis-infused products on-premise.
With this seeming promise of a robust industry, you may have to stop asking is marijuana legal in Missouri and start searching for recreational cannabis near me soon.
Personal Possession and Cultivation of Adult-Use Marijuana
Residents would have the right to possess 8 oz of cannabis flower, 4,000 mg of cannabis-infused products, and 28 g of extracts. Also, individuals may cultivate up to 25 sq. ft. of cannabis with a flowering canopy without paying any fee or having an authorizing ID card.
Expungement and Compassionate Care Program
The compassionate care program proposal indicates that given certain conditions, qualified patients and caregivers may get cannabis distributed to them free of charge. Also, past convictions of marijuana-related offenses can be expunged from the public record at a cost equivalent to the filing fee cost in Small Claims Court.
Tax Revenue Application
The state would mark the recreational cannabis tax at 7.5% without a wholesale tax. The state’s Department of Health and Senior Services and Missouri’s Division of Alcohol and Tobaccowould determine the use of the tax revenue.
Getting the Best of Both Worlds With Your Medical Marijuana Card
Both initiatives are keen on legalizing recreational marijuana for adults 21 and older. However, if adult-use cannabis becomes legal in MO, this doesn’t mean you have to dump your current MMJ card.
Essentially, if Missouri legalizes recreational marijuana through these initiatives, patients would have access to more cannabis and cannabis-infused products options than recreational users. The more potent and exciting edibles would be reserved for patients with medical marijuana cards.
So yeah, if your question is, “is marijuana legal in Missouri?” The answer is no. Is marijuana going to be legal in Missouri? We believe so and look forward to it. The legalization would open new doors to better treatments for Missourian patients with a medical marijuana card, as well as everyday residents.
Now or then, Elevate Holistics is always available to help you get your marijuana card in the shortest time possible, at a very affordable rate. Book your appointment with us today using the scheduler below! Soon, you’ll get to reap all the benefits that MO medical cannabis brings.
