State issues report on growing marijuana industry

Calling it a "great success," Missouri's Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) touted achievements of the state's medical marijuana program in a report issued last week.

The DHSS report, required annually under Article XIV, Section 1, of the Missouri Constitution, includes an accounting of the state's medical marijuana program during the program's second full year, Dec. 6, 2019, through Dec. 5, 2020.

Missouri is one of 21 states that have legalized the use of cannabis for medicinal purposes since 2005 and, according to DHSS, the state was able to implement the program in just over 23 months, about five months quicker than the national average of 29 months.

Only five states — Pennsylvania, New York, Utah, Minnesota and Oklahoma — have ramped up their medical marijuana programs faster than Missouri.

"It is an honor to be a part of the great success of this new medical industry in Missouri," commented Lyndall Fraker, director of DHSS's Section for Medical Marijuana Regulation as the annual report was issued Thursday.

"I continue to be amazed at how hard our team is working in order to help our facilities provide this alternative medicine for the state's fast-growing patient base," he continued. "Our goal is to provide a safe, well-regulated and patient-focused program second to none in our great nation. Our success undeniably proves we have accomplished this goal in a timely manner, meeting all of our constitutional obligations and decided by the citizens of Missouri."

During the report period, referred to by DHSS as PY20, the state issued 56,448 licenses to patients with qualifying conditions as well as caregivers of some of those patients. DHSS also renewed 12,062 patient licenses, began facility commencement inspections, approved 10 cultivation, two laboratory testing, two transportation, one manufacturing and 17 dispensary facilities.

Thousands of additional patient license applications were received during the first seven months of 2021. Through July, the state had received 166,333 patient usage applications and in the past five months is averaging more than 11,000 applications a month.

Scores of additional dispensaries, cultivation facilities, manufacturing plants and testing laboratories have also begun operations in Missouri in the past six months, including dispensaries in Cape Girardeau.

Dispensaries per capita

When fully implemented, Missouri will have as many as 192 dispensaries, significantly more than most of the other 20 states that have legalized medical marijuana. Michigan, New Mexico and Oklahoma have no limits on the number of dispensaries. Delaware and Rhode Island have the fewest number of dispensaries with just three allowed in each state. Other states with very few dispensaries include New Hampshire (4), New Jersey (6), Minnesota (8) and North Dakota (8).

According to the DHSS report, Oklahoma has nearly 52 dispensaries for every 100,000 Oklahoma residents. New Mexico ranks second with 5.2 dispensaries and Missouri is third with 3.13 dispensaries per 100,000 residents.

The report also breaks down the types of medical conditions qualifying Missourians for medical marijuana usage during PY20. The most common condition was listed as "physical/psychological dependence." Other common conditions for which licenses were approved during PY20 included cancer, psychiatric disorders, migraines and other "not defined" medical conditions.

The complete 2020 DHSS report on the state's medical marijuana program may be found online at www.medicalmarijuana.mo.gov.

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