Missouri receives nearly 2,000 applications for medical cannabis licenses

Missouri regulators received approximately 2,100 license applications, for only 348 available licenses. The deadline for submitting applications was Saturday, but had been extended to Monday as Missouri wanted to give companies wishing to operate medical cannabis facilities more time to file applications. More than 1,200 applications were received in the last three days, including 800 in the 24 hours before the deadline was extended, according to state officials.

Missouri officials will have to review all these license applications. The state's Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) now has 150 days to approve or disapprove each application. A third party will then begin evaluating each application, using a blind process in which each company's name and identifying information have been removed from the submission. Applicants will find out whether or not they have passed in January 2020.

DHSS Director Dr. Randall Williams said he greatly appreciated the feedback “from so many Missourians” on the process. «While our primary goals have always been to put patients first and maintain the integrity of the program, we also believe this illustrates good governance in the implementation of a complex initiative adopted by the overwhelming majority of Missouri voters,» he said.

The DHSS will publish a map of facilities and clinics in the coming weeks. It said it had already approved 6,500 applications from qualified patients and caregivers ahead of schedule. Qualification requirements for medical marijuana include cancer, epilepsy, glaucoma, migraines, chronic pain, post-traumatic stress disorder, terminal illnesses, hepatitis C, inflammatory bowel disease, Chrohn's disease, Huntington's disease, autism, neuropathies, sickle cell disease, Alzheimer's disease agitation, cachexia and wasting syndrome.

A total of 60 cultivation facilities, 192 dispensaries, 86 drug manufacturing facilities and 10 analytical laboratories will be used.