Dispensaries prepare for recreational marijuana license applications to open Thursday

ST. LOUIS (KMOV) - Missouri is one step closer to legalized recreational marijuana starting on Thursday.

Existing medical cannabis sellers will be able to apply Thursday to become a comprehensive facility, allowing them to sell both medically and recreationally.

Greenlight Dispensary partner Tom Bommarito says 10,000 jobs have been created in the state this year within the marijuana industry.

“Missouri’s gonna see the benefit of that,” Bommarito says. “Not only with jobs, revenue.”

Bommarito expects the number of jobs to skyrocket in 2023 to meet the demand.

“We’re gonna see that in our dispensaries as well,” Bommarito says. “You’ll see it right down to that level. You won’t be able to run them with three or four people. You’ll need six or eight people during the shifts. We’ll also probably be expanding hours.”

Bommarito says dispensaries across the state are averaging a total revenue of $34 million a month.

Once recreational weed becomes available, Bommarito expects revenue to more than double since people will no longer need to cross the river into Illinois.

“We hope to see not only our patients not going over there anymore, or our potential patients because they didn’t wanna get a card to shop here in Missouri. We think there will be some Illinois shoppers welcome here.”

John Payne was among those who pushed for Amendment 3 to pass in November. Payne says December 8 is when the criminal justice reforms will also start going into effect.

“The courts begin the process of expunging previous non-violent marijuana offenses,” Payne says.

Consumers will be allowed to legally possess up to 3 ounces of marijuana starting Thursday.

“People will no longer have to worry about getting arrested or getting prosecuted for simple possession in the state,” Payne says.

Although the application process starts Thursday for dispensaries, recreational marijuana won’t be available to the public until February.

More information can be found here.

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