KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Feb. 6 is the target date folks in the cannabis industry believe they'll be able to start selling recreational cannabis in Missouri.
"Nobody sent out a message saying that's the definite day but, as I understand it, the comprehensive licenses will be handed out on the 3rd, and the 6th — we'll be able to sell," said Rob Sullivan, owner of Fresh Green Dispensaries.
The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services told KSHB 41 News that 97% of medicinal cannabis dispensaries requested to expand their licenses to recreational.
The state has until Feb. 6 to approve or deny their applications.
Whether it's flower, vape pens, edibles or even sparkling water — it'll all be available to Missourians, or really anyone. You just need a valid ID and must be 21 years and older.
"Any state — it could be a passport, just needs to be a valid ID, not expired," Sullivan said. "When you come in for rec, have your drivers license and cash."
Without a medicinal card, you can buy up to three ounces at a time.
However, Sullivan says there is still a benefit to getting a card.
"With a medical card, the minimum limit is six ounces, and you can get up to a four times [possession] limit," Sullivan said.
He says a card might also might take away any uncertainties if you were to get pulled over by the police.
"Most of them in the bigger municipalities and the state who aren't taking it personally — go ahead and let them go if they have that medical card," Sullivan said about law enforcement.
Sullivan says the product is better now that growers have gotten into a groove since medicinal went live two years ago.
"Thousand percent," Sullivan said. "The first product we had was flower. To be honest, it was take what you can get. Get what you get and don't throw a fit, that's what it was with that. Now we have, we just did inventory last week, I think we have 400 different products with cannabis and now they're good. The flower's getting really good."
When medicinal sales rolled out, only one company was providing flower and it was their second harvest, Sullivan said. It takes a few harvests to get a good product.
"Now, there's a good eight, 10 growers who got it right," Sullivan said. "I think we have great product now, as good as any place else."
Some dispensary owners also own growing and manufacturing facilities where they grow cannabis and turn some of the product into oils and edibles.
Fresh Green gets their product from Illicit and Clovr, and Sullivan says they've been ramping up production.
"This week there will be big orders coming in and we have some guaranteed suppliers, Illicit and Clovr and those are two of the best companies in the state anyway, so we're set up pretty good," Sullivan said.
His Lee's Summit location was the first location to make a medicinal sale two years ago and the line was so long, it went down 291 Highway. Sullivan anticipates long lines for the first recreational sales but doesn't expect to run out.
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