As legal weed comes to Missouri, lawsuits still pending over medical marijuana program

Of the greater than 880 lawsuits from firms that didn’t get a restricted variety of licenses to develop, transport and promote medical marijuana, 430 of them are nonetheless winding their means via the state’s Administrative Listening to Fee course of.

Mary Erickson, a spokeswoman for the AHC, mentioned the remaining circumstances are in numerous levels of litigation.

“Some circumstances are pending choices after hearings whereas some circumstances have been set for listening to,” Erickson mentioned.

The crush of circumstances has required the Missouri Division of Well being and Senior Providers to rent non-public, exterior attorneys at a price of greater than $10.2 million, together with greater than $700,000 since July 1.

And on the AHC, there’s a job opening to fill an lawyer opening that may focus largely on the medical marijuana circumstances. The non permanent place, which might be carried out remotely, pays as much as $60,000.

“Best alternative for knowledgeable attorneys to proceed training legislation within the brief time period and obtain state advantages,” the job posting says.

As a part of the licensing course of to launch the state’s legalized medical marijuana program, the state obtained 2,266 marijuana enterprise purposes filed by no less than 700 completely different teams. It awarded 60 licenses to develop marijuana, 86 to make marijuana-infused merchandise and 192 to open dispensaries.

Lots of the firms that didn’t get licenses say the state’s scoring system for awarding permits was flawed.

A test of the listening to fee docket signifies it is going to be properly into subsequent yr earlier than they’re probably resolved.

For instance, a case relationship to March 2020 involving Dream Leaf LLC, which was unsuccessful in acquiring a license, exhibits that the events might not meet in courtroom till March or April.

Dream Leaf had utilized to open a facility in Clay County close to Kansas Metropolis, however DHSS mentioned native ordinances prohibited the operation of a dispensary. As well as, the corporate is alleging the scoring system used to find out winners and losers was incorrect.

Now, those that received medical licenses are in line for the brand new leisure licenses, which have been approved as part of a constitutional amendment on the Nov. 8 poll.

The change, which was accredited by 53% of the voters, provides present medical marijuana licensees the appropriate to “convert” their medical licenses into leisure ones.

The businesses will be able to apply Dec. 8 for “complete” gross sales permits.

The state then is required to take motion on these purposes inside 60 days, making Feb. 6 the date the state can be required to approve conversion purposes submitted on Dec. 8.

DHSS spokeswoman Lisa Cox advised the Publish-Dispatch earlier that officers anticipate to transform licenses “earlier than the 60-day deadline, as quickly as we now have guidelines for complete services filed.”

Missouri is now among 21 states which have legalized hashish for leisure use. Maryland voters additionally accredited legalization on Election Day. Voters in Arkansas, North Dakota and South Dakota rejected comparable measures.