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- A quick guide to everything you should know about the current state of affairs for medical cannabis in Missouri.
Have you ever traveled? Maybe you landed in Bangkok and ogled over fried scorpions on a stick? Perhaps you rode a bus through some obscure South American country and saw a stream backed up with a dam of garbage? If you’ve ever encountered something new, you know that your immediate reaction to it can be visceral. If you’re new to the medical marijuana market in Missouri, we want you to feel comfortable. That’s why we’ve developed this quick guide to help you better understand what to expect from Missouri’s medical marijuana program.
At the moment, the Department of Health and Senior Services is overseeing the implementation of Article XIV’s provisions. The tasks involved in this process include patient-centered operations such as providing registrations to qualified patients and their caregivers. Moreover, they also are tasked with implementing licensing and certification for:
● Medical marijuana cultivation facilities
● Medical marijuana dispensary facilities
● Medical marijuana-infused products manufacturing facilities
● Medical marijuana testing facilities
● And more
To better understand what that means, let’s begin by looking at what Missouri’s medical marijuana program does for patients.
In order to get a medical marijuana program, patients must be diagnosed with a qualifying condition.
Those conditions include:
● Cancer
● Epilepsy
● Glaucoma
● Intractable migraines unresponsive to other treatment
● Multiple sclerosis
● Seizures
● Parkinson’s disease
● Tourette’s syndrome
● Post-traumatic stress order, if diagnosed by a state licensed psychiatrist
● HIV/AIDS
● Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
● Inflammatory bowel disease
● Crohn’s disease
● Huntington’s disease
● Autism
● Neuropathies
● Sickle cell anemia
● Alzheimer’s disease
● Cachexia or wasting syndrome
● A terminal illness
● A chronic medical condition that is normally treated with prescription medications that could lead to physical or psychological dependence.
● In the professional judgment of a physician, any other chronic, debilitating or other medical condition.
The last three points are the most important. They give doctors more leeway in determining what is best for their patients.
Once patients have their doctor recommendation for medical cannabis, they must register as a patient with Missouri. As of late June, all applications must be submitted online. Moreover, they must include the following:
● Name, date of birth, social security number
● Mailing address
● Proof of Missouri residency. e.g. a copy of a valid Missouri driver’s license or vehicle registration, a Missouri Identification Card, or a recent Missouri utility bill
● E-mail address
● Physician Certification Form, completed and signed by an active Missouri-licensed physician in good standing
● A copy of the photo identification issued by a state or federal government entity
● A Parental/Legal Guardian Consent Form for the non-emancipated qualifying patient
● A recent, clear, color photograph of the qualifying patient’s face
● A statement indicating whether the qualifying patient is currently receiving assistance from any Missouri programs for low-income individuals, and if so, which programs (optional)
● If the patient is seeking authority to cultivate medical marijuana
● Attestation statement
● Signature and date of the application
● All applicable fees
Once you have your card, there are a few things to remember. The privilege of growing costs an extra $100 and will allow a personal grow up to six plants. For example, patients may only have one cultivation card and it can either be held by themselves or by their primary caregiver.
Patients can have up to two designated caregivers and caregivers can take care of up to three patients.
Consumption must only take place on private property not open to the public, including sidewalks and streets.
For patients who do not grow their own medical marijuana in Missouri or have a caregiver grow for them, they will be limited to purchasing no more than 4 ounces of cannabis in any 30-day period. Exceptions can be made but they require two written submissions by separate physicians indicating the reason why more is necessary.
The sale of medical marijuana in Missouri is not expected to begin until January of 2020. That’s because the department will begin accepting applications for cannabis facilities on August 3, 2019, and it will take a few months to get the infrastructure in place.
For more information on the medical marijuana program in Missouri, the state can be contacted directly at medicalmarijuanainfo@health.mo.gov
The program is still relatively new and is not by any means something to ogle at. However, things are moving rapidly and those who get started now will have the best chance of getting their medical marijuana from a licensed dispensary as soon as they open. Moreover, patients who start growing now should have yields of their own before the first dispensary in Missouri opens its doors.
Have you found this guide useful to better understanding medical marijuana in Missouri? If it has, please share it with your friends so they can learn something new—without the gut reaction.