The Department of Health and Senior Services announced recently that it will begin accepting applications early for the state's marijuana microbusiness program.
The application window for the first round of applications is July 27 through April 10. Application forms and instructions will be available ahead of time, by June 6, on the department's website.
Amendment 3, which legalized recreational marijuana, was added to the Missouri Constitution in December 2022. Under the amendment, the DHSS is required to begin accepting microbusiness applications by September.
"This is the first implementation of a new applicant type, and it is an application type for which we are instructed to provide technical assistance and other resources to ensure eligible applicants are successful in navigating the process," Missouri Division of Cannabis Regulation Director Amy Moore said. "We want to do everything in our power to ensure we are fulfilling that responsibility, and allowing for more time in the application processing time period is one way to do that."
In October, the DHSS will issue a total of 48 microbusiness licenses via random lottery drawing — six in each of the state's eight congressional districts. The Missouri Lottery will conduct the drawing using software that produces random results.
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