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1. Missouri allows you to grow your own medical marijuana at home.
The state of Missouri allows patients to grow up to 6 flowering plants at any given time. They are also able to have 6 non-flowering plants, and 6 clones. The six non-flowering plants are considered to be over 14 inches tall. The six flowering plants are considered to be over 14 inches tall but the six clones must be under 14 inches tall. There is a state fee for a cultivation card that is $100 in addition to the $25 registration fee as a patient.
2. Missouri allows for combustion of the material, so smoking joints is permitted.
In a few states across the country, medical marijuana programs do not allow combustion of the plant material. This means that patients are violating their state laws by smoking a joint. Patients are left vaporizing medical marijuana to remain in the confines of the law. Missouri allows patients to combust the plant material, paving the way for a more lenient program. Although smoking a joint isn't considered the healthiest way to consume medical marijuana, it is considered the most popular way to do so.
3. The state charges a $25 registration fee for 1 year.
Once you receive your physician certification form, you'll need to upload that information to the state. You'll upload and pay your registration fee through Complia, the state's portal. If you haven't been approved and would like to schedule an appointment to see medical marijuana doctor, you can do that here.
4. The state's program cannot recommend a place to source your seeds.
Missouri is unable to recommend a source for where to get your medical marijuana seeds from, until December 2020. This means that they will not require you to purchase seeds from a Missouri-licensed dispensary, until December 2020. According to the Department of Health and Senior Services "the department cannot advise anyone on where to obtain the means to grow marijuana." So, Missourians will have to quietly source their seeds from wherever they can find them until December of 2020.
5. Missouri has approved over 17,000 patients so far.
In just over 6 months Missouri has approved a higher percentage of patients than most states. This number indicates how successful the program will be and it is on target to become one of the more successful programs in the country. Missouri doesn't limit qualifying conditions either. If a patient has a condition that they think is treatable with medical marijuana, all they need to do is speak with a doctor. This, in addition to being able to grow and combust medical marijuana in Missouri are key factors in explaining a jump from 4,000 to 17,000 patients approved over the past few months.
6. You are allowed to possess up to 4 ounces of marijuana as a 30-day supply.
Patients are allowed up to 4 ounces of medical marijuana from a dispensary in a 30 day period. This is important because a caregiver can grow up to a 90-day supply for a patient, meaning patients can pick up 90 days worth or 12 ounces of marijuana from their licensed caregiver at a given time. Four ounces is what can be purchased from a dispensary for a 30 day supply. Four ounces equates to 112 grams that you are legally allowed to purchase from a dispensary.
7. Companies can still drug test employees and discriminate against medical marijuana patients.
Unfortunately, this is an issue with just about every medical program in the country. In states where medical marijuana is legal, most employers still choose to discriminate against marijuana use, even if a person is a medical marijuana cardholder. In time this may change, but for now Missourian's will have to check with their employers to better understand their companies policies on medical marijuana.
8. Under federal and state law you cannot possess a firearm and marijuana at the same time.
This is a widely debated topic across the nation. So far, no state allows patients to carry a firearm while possessing medical marijuana. Carrying a firearm and possessing medical marijuana triggers an automatic federal felony.
9. Dispensaries are expected to open as early as January 2020.
Unfortunately, there is no guarantee that dispensaries will open in January. However, there are more dispensary licenses being handed out by the state than almost any other medical program in the country. This implies that the program won't be off to a slow start. Dispensary-employee training has already begun and you can grow your own medical marijuana in the meantime!
10. The Pricing!
It's anticipated that Missouri will have a low price point when dispensaries open. Think your marijuana is expensive? States like Ohio charged over $500 for an ounce when it's program rolled out. So even if you see prices like $350 per ounce, know that in a few months with the number of dispensaries opening, the prices are bound to drop quickly.
11. (Bonus) In order to get your card you will only need three things.
You will need a valid state ID that shows proof of residency in the state of Missouri, medical records showing a diagnosis of a qualifying condition in Missouri, and to book an appointment with a medical marijuana doctor to get approved.
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