TOPEKA — Thousands of Kansans are crossing the Missouri border with medical marijuana cards in hand, and that’s unlikely to change as Kansas lawmakers resist medical legalization in 2025. Legislators tabled a medical marijuana bill in March and promised to revisit it at the beginning of the 2025 session, which begins Jan. 13. In October, a majority of medical marijuana … [Read more...] about Thousands of Kansans are Missouri medical marijuana patients
Missouri
St. Louis couple grinds up marijuana waste so companies don’t have to
ST. LOUIS — There's a problem in the cannabis industry.After the flowers are harvested, the stems are left. After the vapes are smoked, the cartridges are empty.As the marijuana business grows, so does the amount of waste it produces. But cultivators and retailers can't just throw away bad materials. To meet Missouri disposal requirements, the product must be mixed up with … [Read more...] about St. Louis couple grinds up marijuana waste so companies don’t have to
Labeling error led to Missouri recall of cannabis gummies
Flora Farms took more than 3,000 Zen-brand cannabis gummy products off the shelves last month, after state regulators received a complaint the food-coloring ingredient wasn’t listed on the label. The food coloring is not a banned ingredient, said Sami Jo Freeman, spokeswoman for the Division of Cannabis Regulation, and the Flora Farms manufacturing facility in Springfield … [Read more...] about Labeling error led to Missouri recall of cannabis gummies
Missouri cannabis microbusiness ‘mentor’ connected to licenses under state investigation
Fifth-three percent of Missouri voters signed off on a constitutional amendment legalizing recreational marijuana on Nov. 8, 2022 (Carol Yepes/Getty Images). The Missouri Cannabis Trade Association describes David Brodsky as “instrumental in developing the Missouri microbusiness community” and a mentor to disadvantaged business owners. In his cannabis consulting work, Brodsky … [Read more...] about Missouri cannabis microbusiness ‘mentor’ connected to licenses under state investigation
Receiver sought for marijuana business after $22M default
A Maryland real estate investment trust is seeking control of a Missouri marijuana business as it says some $22 million is owed on a back note. Viridescent Realty Trust Inc. said in a lawsuit filed Friday in St. Louis County Circuit Court that in 2021 it made a loan to the business, with entities carrying the name Blue Arrow, tied to John Wilbers and Laura Wilbers. Wilbers, a … [Read more...] about Receiver sought for marijuana business after $22M default
Cannabis regulators concerned about predatory practices in Missouri’s social equity program
Division of Cannabis Regulation Director Amy Moore said her team shares the concern about predatory practices, and that’s why the division previously issued warnings to applicants (Rebecca Rivas/Missouri Independent). Cynara Velazquez became familiar with Michael Halow over the summer. Velazquez is an organizer with the California nonprofit called Cannabis Education Project … [Read more...] about Cannabis regulators concerned about predatory practices in Missouri’s social equity program
What’s in your weed? A Missouri state lab to check industry claims
Missouri plans to spend millions from state marijuana taxes on a laboratory to help regulators keep tabs on the safety and potency of more than $1 billion of joints, edibles and other cannabis products sold annually across the state.Health experts and consumer groups applauded the added regulatory check, outlined in an Oct. 11 report about Missouri’s cannabis industry. A dozen … [Read more...] about What’s in your weed? A Missouri state lab to check industry claims
Missouri pulls more than half of social equity cannabis licenses
The state's health department cited eligibility concerns, amid allegations of exploitation. Missouri regulators denied certification for a slew of social equity marijuana licenses issued in a recent lottery, citing eligibility issues. The state health department announced last week that only 25 of the 57 microbusiness licenses issued in June were certified as … [Read more...] about Missouri pulls more than half of social equity cannabis licenses
Cannabis union drive stalls as company attempts to set national legal precedent
Post-harvest employees at BeLeaf Medical’s Sinse facility await union election results on Feb. 6 at the St. Louis Public Library Barr branch (Rebecca Rivas/Missouri Independent). It’s been more than seven months since employees of St. Louis-based Beleaf Medical cannabis company held an election to unionize. The majority of the ballots — 11 of the 16 — have remained … [Read more...] about Cannabis union drive stalls as company attempts to set national legal precedent
Marijuana investors used ‘predatory’ contracts to snatch up Missouri microbusiness licenses
Missouri's microbusiness program was sold as a way to help victims of the War on Drugs get a toehold in the burgeoning industry. But contracts reveal out-of-state companies or industry insiders repeatedly attempted to use qualified applicants to win the licenses and then shut them out of the profit. Destiny Brown thought she had been recruited last year to own and operate a … [Read more...] about Marijuana investors used ‘predatory’ contracts to snatch up Missouri microbusiness licenses
