The first state-approved marijuana microbusiness in Springfield is laying roots — or planting seeds — in a nondescript building close to the intersection of Glenstone Avenue and Division Street.
Monsta Farms, LLC, is a Missouri-approved micro-cultivator — the first to appear in Springfield. The microbusiness license was awarded to Monsta last year and the small, two-owner company has begun taking the steps to become fully operational, including signing a lease on a Springfield warehouse and laying out plans with the state.
Monsta Farms expects to receive commencement from the Missouri Department of Health and Human Services (DHSS) later this year, at which point the business will be allowed to take the steps to be fully operational. The city of Springfield issued a business license for the micro-cultivator earlier this year, and a commercial building permit was issued in mid-April.
The Missouri microbusiness program was introduced to give marginalized and underrepresented groups access to the burgeoning, newly legal marijuana industry. Since the first applications were submitted in 2023, the program has been plagued by a host of bad players who have tried to game the system, and a high percentage of licenses that were awarded have been revoked. DHSS has rewritten draft guidelines for applications which have allowed for more application denials, and the state hopes there will be fewer revocations ahead.
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