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Microbusiness License in Missouri
Opportunity Highlight
Missouri’s cannabis prices are 57.2% higher than the national average! Capitalizing on this opportunity and benefit from these higher prices by starting a cannabis business in Missouri!
License Types
Missouri’s microbusiness license allows the license holder to have a dispensary facility or wholesale facility. Each license type allows the licensee to participate in different activities.
Microbusiness Dispensary
A microbusiness dispensary facility has the capability to engage in a variety of activities, including:
- Acquiring, processing, packaging, storing, transporting, and delivering cannabis and cannabis products.
- Transporting, delivering, and selling cannabis and cannabis products to other microbusinesses, qualified patients, caregivers, adult-use consumers, or testing facilities.
- Produce pre-rolls.
Microbusiness Wholesale
Holders of a Missouri microbusiness license can operate a wholesale facility, enabling them to:
- Acquire, cultivate, process, store, manufacture, and package cannabis products.
- Transport and deliver cannabis and cannabis products to other microbusinesses and testing facilities.
- Cultivate up to 250 flowering marijuana plants.
- Produce both pre-rolls and infused pre-rolls.
Microbusiness wholesalers that intend to manufacture pre-rolls and/or infused pre-rolls will need to have suitable and compliant cannabis manufacturing equipment to create these products.
The microbusiness license does not authorize all of the same cannabis manufacturing activities as the Infused Product Manufacturing Facility License.
Microbusiness Eligibility
The Microbusiness license is currently the only adult-use Missouri cannabis license available.
Microbusiness licenses are exclusively accessible to applicants identified as marginalized or under-represented. To qualify, an applicant must meet any one of the following five specific criteria:
- Possessing a net worth under $250,000 and earning less than 250% of the federal poverty level.
- Being a service-disabled veteran.
- Being a non-violent offender related to marijuana use or possession, or having immediate family with such a history, excluding offenses related to driving under the influence of cannabis or selling to minors.
- Living in an area where at least 30% of the population is below the federal poverty level or where unemployment rates are at least 50% higher than the state’s average.
- Graduating from or living for three out of the past five years in a ZIP code of an unaccredited school district.
Learn more about eligibility and the application process using the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) application resources here.
Microbusiness Application & Licensing Fees
Application Fee: $1,500 due with application unselected deficiency free applications can be refunded.
Annual Fee: $1,500, payable on the license anniversary, starting after initial licensure.
Renewal Fee: $1,500 every three years; submit renewal online 30 to 90 days before expiration.
Applicants that do not get selected in the lottery may request a refund online beginning thirty-one (31) days after the lottery, as long as the application was deficiency free and met eligibility requirements. Refunds must be requested within six (6) months from the lottery.
Unsuccessful applicants can apply again in the next application period.
Application & Lottery
Missouri Microbusiness license applications can be submitted online through the DHSS registry portal.
Registration for the portal requires your business name and FEIN number. The application will require the following information:
- Applicant contact name and address.
- Applicant entity legal and fictitious names.
- Ownership details and facility structure diagram.
- Proposed facility location with compliance attestations and local government requirements.
- Facility blueprints with room functions and sizes.
- Facility cultivation methods, space allocation ratios for each.
- Attestation of unique ownership, separate from other marijuana licenses.
- Commitment to submit fingerprints for a criminal check within two weeks post-application.
- Attestation of no disqualifying felony offenses among relevant individuals.
- Valid photo ID.
- Proof of microbusiness ownership eligibility.
- Required fees.
Find application information and instructions here.
Missouri cannabis licenses are selected using a lottery system. The identity of the applicants will not be factored into the lottery drawing.
An individual or entity can only appear on one application per lottery round. Appearing on multiple applications will result in denial of all those applications. Unselected applicants can reapply in the next submission period.
After the review period, license winners will be notified by email at the contact listed on their application.
Location Requirements
Applicants must occupy a compliant location in order to apply for a Missouri microbusiness license in Missouri. Since this can be a challenging and large up-front investment, applicants should consider working with a partner or investor.
Each congressional district will have a certain number of licenses available in the upcoming licensing round. Use the DHSS’s tool link to determine your district.
- Facilities must not be within 1,000 feet of schools, daycares, or churches unless allowed by local government.
- Distance is measured from the closest external wall of the facility to the nearest property line of the school, daycare, or church.
- If the facility or the institution is part of a larger structure like an office building or mall, measure the distance from the facility’s entrance/exit to the institution’s nearest entrance/exit.
Additional zoning regulations can be enacted and governed by municipalities. These regulations can govern the time, place, and manner of operation of cannabis facilities within the municipality. Be sure to read your municipality’s regulations before applying!
Medical Cannabis Licenses in Missouri
Missouri Cultivation License:
The cultivation facility license authorizes the entity to acquire, cultivate, process, store, and sell cannabis and cannabis products to a licensed medical retail dispensary, testing facility, or infused products manufacturing facility. The Missouri cultivation license is not currently available for the adult-use market.
Transportation Facility License:
The transportation facility allows for the delivery of medical marijuana to a qualifying patient, caregiver, medical cultivation facility, and manufacturing facility.
Infused Product Manufacturing Facility:
The Infused Manufacturing facility allows for the entity to acquire, process, package, store and transport medical marijuana to a medical facility and/or a testing facility. Manufacturers can also sell products to a dispensary facility, testing facility, or another manufacturer.
Dispensary Facility:
A dispensary facility authorizes the development of a cannabis storefront and permits on and off-site sale of cannabis and cannabis products to medical patients and caregivers.
Laboratory Testing Facility:
A facility certified by the department to acquire, test, certify, and transport marijuana, including those originally certified as a medical marijuana testing facility.
Refund
Applicants that do not get selected in the lottery may request a refund online beginning thirty-one (31) days after the lottery, as long as the application was deficiency free and met eligibility requirements. Refunds must be requested within six (6) months from the lottery.
Unsuccessful applicants can apply again in the next application period.
Why Work with CannDelta
Missouri’s adult-use cannabis industry is still very young. Working with Missouri cannabis consulting experts at CannDelta is the best way to capitalize on this brand new market and become a cornerstone business in the upbringing of Missouri’s cannabis market. Our Missouri cannabis consulting team provides guidance on the licensing process, help with application preparation, and advise on compliance and operation. Working with a consultant can save time and money by avoiding costly mistakes and ensuring that all regulatory requirements are met. Get in-touch with CannDelta to learn how you can get a Missouri cannabis license.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Much Does it Cost to Own a Dispensary in Missouri?
Anyone planning to own an adult-use dispensary in Missouri should have at least $100,000 in capital ready to be invested. However, the aspiring dispensary owner should aim to have more capital to invest up-front, and they will unquestionably need more capital as they begin to build out their dispensary storefront. This may require a marijuana microbusiness applicant to work with an investor or partner in order to cut costs and maintain their eligibility status. Some expenses involved are: License fees and working with cannabis consultants, occupying a storefront by obtaining ownership or a lease agreement, generating a product portfolio, integrating a compliant POS system, engaging in marketing efforts, implementing compliant security, and more.
How do I Get a Cannabis Dispensary License in Missouri?
Getting an adult-use cannabis dispensary license in Missouri will require a Microbusiness License, or Dispensary Facility License upon release from the MCA. Getting a marijuana microbusiness license will require a successful application submission, selection in the lottery, and the maintenance of eligibility criteria.
How do I Start a Marijuana Business in Missouri?
Starting a marijuana business in Missouri will require a MCA issued license. The license holder will need a business plan, capital to invest into the business, and a clear understanding of the MCA’s regulatory requirements for their license type.
How Much is a Cultivation License in Missouri?
Cultivation licenses for the adult-use market are not currently available.
Can I Grow Cannabis in Missouri?
Yes! Anyone 21 and older can get a personal cultivation card from the department to grow a maximum of six flowering marijuana plants, six nonflowering plants over 14 inches, and six nonflowering plants under 14 inches, all within a single secured facility. Cultivation must occur at a private home.
Can I get a Consumption Lounge License in Missouri?
No. There is no consumption lounge license available in Missouri that authorizes on-site consumption lounges.
Can a Microbusiness License Wholesale Cannabis?
Yes! A Microbusiness Wholesaler can wholesale cannabis to a Microbusiness Dispensary license holder.
