On November 8th, 2022, Missouri successfully passed the law that legalized recreational cannabis use.
In other words, at this point, cannabis hasn’t been recreationally legal for a long time yet.
But it’s clear that this was a long time coming for the state, which legalized medical marijuana use back in 2018.
With all of that being said, this is still a new development for the state of Missouri.
Thus, why it’s important to understand all of the different laws at play.
So let’s dive into it and talk about everything you need to know to understand Missouri’s new recreational marijuana laws.
Table of Contents
1. The Basics
Alright, first things first.
Let’s talk about the basics of the laws themselves.
First of all, even though recreational marijuana is still technically legal in Missouri, employers still have the right to prohibit marijuana use or possession in the workplace or on the employer’s property.
Employers also have the right to prohibit their employees from working while under the influence of marijuana.
Individuals are also still prohibited from operating motor vehicles or other motorized forms of transport while they’re using marijuana or are under the influence of it.
2. More Specific Recreational Marijuana Laws
Interestingly, Missouri’s recreational marijuana laws permit the public possession of up to 3 oz and the home cultivation of up to six flowering marijuana plants.
Public consumption of marijuana remains illegal. Thus, the people who do plan to enjoy recreational weed will have to do so in the privacy of their own homes.
3. How Will This Change Life In Missouri?
For Missouri citizens, this law will make a pretty big difference in everyday life.
For example, previously, people who wanted to use cannabis only really had two options.
They could either get a medical card from their physician and use medical marijuana, or they could obtain it off the street in an illegal fashion.
Now, marijuana will literally be available to anyone ages 21 or older who wants to buy marijuana from a legal dispensary within the state.
There have been some complaints about the nature of the business side of Missouri’s recreational marijuana law.
Some say that the verbiage of the law makes it so that it’ll be difficult for new entrepreneurs to break into the marijuana industry because it places some pretty specific limits on how many licenses will be available at any given time.
Thus, people see it as being a law that prohibits competition and basically gives the new income created by this new cannabis industry to established businesses that are already profiting from adjacent market-share opportunities.
Of course, for the average person on the street, this will probably just mean slightly higher prices for a product that will probably see quite a bit of use in Missouri in the years to come.
Plus, there will be some hefty tax revenues generated from the use of marijuana that will go to pay for running the legalization program itself at the local level, and then processing expungements for past marijuana offenses.
In other words—for the average person, this is an exciting law that opens up the opportunity for people to enjoy the incredible benefits of THC without the fear of legal repercussions.
And hey, that’s good news right, right?
4. How To Buy Recreational Marijuana In Missouri
Once all of the legal dispensaries have verified their licenses, people will literally be able to walk into recreational facilities, present their ID to prove that they’re over 21, and then walk out of the store with cannabis flower, pre-rolls, edibles, or even vapes.
It’ll literally be that easy.
Of course, in some rural areas, it may be difficult to find legal dispensaries close by.
But the good news is that you’ll also be able to order marijuana products online in Missouri, at least to a certain extent.
This means that if you live too far away from a dispensary, such that the trip would be an inconvenience, you may be able to supplement by ordering online—which could make the process a lot more convenient.
Conclusion
There you have it.
Everything you need to know to properly understand Missouri’s recreational marijuana laws.
Equipped with this information, you should be good to go to make use of it and enjoy your own recreational marijuana experience within the state.
