The legislation would prevent any caps on the number of cannabis licenses
Missouri is one of the newest states to get involved with marijuana. Its legalization came just a few months ago through the midterm elections and that has also helped the medical sector receive more attention. Now, after seeing how demand for the plant is growing, a state representative unveiled a bill that would allow unlimited cannabis licenses.
Currently, Missouri law places certain restrictions on the number of licensed marijuana facilities in the state. Representative Adrian Plank, however, unveiled new legislation that would change that completely. Through his measure HB 985, the legislator believes it is necessary to lift or relax any limits on the number of licenses to meet the demand for marijuana in the state.
As long as the minimum licensing standards are met, the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services and the Missouri Constitution should issue the license without any problems, the bill states. “The general assembly hereby repeals any limit on the number of licenses established in the regulations,” it adds.
While Missouri has only just been getting into recreational marijuana, its medical cannabis sector has been up and running since 2018. Plank’s bill is quite similar to several measures introduced in the legislature since that time, and he hopes it gets enough attention this time around.
Although the bill expresses the need to expand the number of licenses, in reality, Show Me State dispensaries have not evidenced a consistent supply shortage since the late 2020s. This is perhaps the point that might be difficult to explain, although Plank seems to have the necessary rationale.