Missouri! We were just there. In any case, the state’s Department of Health and Senior Services recently released the latest round of drafts for medical marijuana in Missouri. While technically the DHSS has until June 4th to finalize the MMJ regulations, it behooves everyone to have these ironed out well in advance. With that in mind, while these drafts are not final they provide a pretty clear roadmap of what to expect from the DHSS. Let’s review.
All Employees, Contractors, Owners, and Officers Must Have An “FAIC”
What’s an “FAIC”? It’s short for Facility Agent Identification Card and you’ll need one to get into any dispensary, laboratory testing, cultivation, manufacturing, or transport facility. Each card will have a unique identification number and, again, for anyone doing work at a facility they must have an FAIC. Applying for one will require a background check and a $150 processing fee. The cards will need to be renewed on a three-year basis. Importantly, FAIC’s won’t be available for application until February 15, 2020. While it’s not clear if temporary or emergency “quasi-FAIC” ID’s would be available, this date does give some indication of the state’s timeline.
Licensing
The state is set to begin accepting license applications on August 3, 2019. There will be three license categories: dispensary, cultivation, and manufacturing. Additionally, there will be two separate certifications: laboratory testing and transportation. All licenses and certifications will carry an application/renewal fees in addition to an annual fee.
A given business or license holder can collect cultivation, manufacturing, and dispensary licenses, but NOT also hold a certification for lab testing. This is a safeguard measure from DHSS to avoid conflict of interests that may arise from a company testing its own products. So, from a practical if not literal standpoint, vertical integration is possible.
All applicants from within Missouri must provide proof of residence and also must have lived within Show-Me for at least one year prior. Out-of-state applicants who are affiliated with other, non-Missouri cannabis groups must provide proof of license for that holding as well.
All licenses will be valid for three years. To sell or sublease a business license one must get approval from the DHSS.
MoCann and MMLG Are Hitting the Road
MoCann will be hosting a four-stop roadshow next week across Missouri. Stops will include St. Louis, Columbia, Kansas City and Springfield. MMLG is actually a sponsor for this event and we’ll be speaking at all four destinations. If you met us at the MoCann exhibition earlier this month and have some questions on the DHSS draft? Stop on by and say hey. Here’s the list of dates for next week’s roadshow:
See you soon, Missouri!