420 with CNW — Missouri DHHS Releases Draft Mari
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Americans in five states have had the chance to vote on cannabis legalization during the Midterm elections. In Missouri, voters approved a cannabis legalization initiative dubbed Amendment 3, which would allow adults age 21 and older to purchase and possess up to three ounces of marijuana. Adults would also be able to grow up to six immature plants, six clones and six flowering plants at home once they secure a registration card.
The initiative was pushed by Legal Missouri 2022, a campaign that worked for months to convince Missourians to vote in favor of the measure. Missouri lawmakers have acted quickly in the wake of the legislation’s passage. Only two days after Missourians approved Amendment 3 at the ballot, the Missouri Department of Human and Health Services (DHHS) unveiled draft cannabis legislation for the state’s recreational cannabis market and launched a public comment period.
The Department of Human and Health Services, which will be in charge of Missouri’s adult-use market, began working on potential cannabis rules in August after the state confirmed that cannabis legalization would be on the November ballot. The agency announced at the time that it had begun planning for potential changes to Missouri’s medical cannabis program because it would require some adjustments if voters approved recreational cannabis legalization.
State officials are now encouraging Missourians to go over the proposed draft rules and submit comments before the public comment period ends in two weeks. This feedback will help regulators finalize the cannabis rules in preparation for the state’s recreational cannabis market.
The DHHS will also be in charge of issuing adult-use licenses and will soon begin receiving applications from already-existing medical marijuana dispensaries that would like to serve recreational cannabis. The agency will accept license applications from dispensaries, and officials will have a maximum of 60 days to choose from the pool of applicants. Recreational cannabis sales are expected to begin by February 2023 at the earliest once the agency chooses the first recreational cannabis retailers in the state.
Given that Amendment 3 was subject to intense criticism from advocates who felt that it did not prevent regulators from passing licensing caps, the proposed rules will most likely receive plenty of public comments.
A spokesperson for Rep. Cori Bush said in early November that the congresswoman did not believe the Missouri legalization measure met the standards of equity and restorative justice that are at the heart of drug reform.
When state residents start growing their own marijuana legally, market opportunities could open up for companies that make equipment to facilitate cannabis cultivation indoors, such as Advanced Container Technologies Inc. (OTC: ACTX).
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