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Missouri Medical Cannabis Program Has Issued More Than 138,000 Medical Cards

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Missouri is only just approaching their one-year anniversary of the state’s medical cannabis program, which launched back in October 2020, and in that time, more than 138,000 Missourians have received state-issued medical cannabis cards, according to a report from eMissourian.

The report follows a number of other landmarks in regard to Missouri’s booming market: It has grown to more than 140 dispensaries, and according to FOX 2 NOW, the medical cannabis industry employs roughly 5,000 people. The sales have also been strong, according to Lyndall Fraker, director of the section of medical cannabis with the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.

??“The sales revenue is pleasantly surprising,” Fraker told the TV station. “At the end of July, we surpassed $91 million in sales.”

The amendment, first approved in 2018, called on Missouri to open at least 192 dispensaries, which Fraker said Missouri is likely to reach.

The breakdowns of ages and medical conditions of patients needing medical cannabis of the 138,000+ medical cards in the state is not yet available for this year, though there is information from the Department of Health and Senior Services that outlines the data from December 2019 to December 2020, when just 68,510 cards were issued.

The report notes, of Missourians receiving a medical cannabis card, 24.7 percent were people in their 30s; 20.23 percent were in their 40s; 17.97 percent were in their 50s; 16.93 percent were in their 60s and 4.72 percent were over 70.

Missourians between the ages of 18 and 29 represented 15.13 percent of all cardholders, and patients younger than 17 accounted for less than one percent of cardholders in the state.

While numbers for this year are not yet available, Jack Cardetti, spokesperson for the Missouri Medical Cannabis Trade Association, said this breakdown in demographics for cardholders isn’t surprising.

“That’s really in line with what our members are seeing today,” Cardetti said. “Many of those patients really have medical conditions that, for years, they’ve been treating with prescription medications that they’re now talking with doctors about receiving medical marijuana for and hopefully avoiding some side effects.”

To purchase medical cannabis in Missouri, patients must obtain a state-issued license which they can qualify for if they have one of the approved conditions (including Crohn’s disease, migraines, cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, epilepsy and glaucoma) or receive certification from a licensed physician.

The previous year’s report reflects that 28 percent of all medical cannabis users in the state use it to combat chronic medical conditions, 17 percent for psychiatric disorders, six percent for migraines and 3 percent for terminal illnesses. An additional 30 percent used cannabis for physical and psychological dependence.

Cardetti noted that many patients, especially those in the “undefined chronic conditions” category, previously used prescription opioids, which can cause side effects and often become addictive. Instead, Missourians are able to join many others seeking alternative medication around the country and world, turning to medical cannabis to avoid the potential negative outcomes of other medications.

With the success of Missouri’s medical program, it’s possible that recreational cannabis will be the next step. Republican House Representative Shamed Dogan spoke out earlier this year, saying it’s time for the state to move toward adult-use cannabis legalization.

“We spend more time and more law enforcement resources going after marijuana smokers than all the other drugs combined,” Dogan said. “Ten percent of the arrests in the state of Missouri right now are from marijuana possession.

Pro-cannabis groups in the state have filed initiative petitions for the 2022 elections to legalize the recreational use of cannabis, with Legal Missouri 22 filing an initiative on August 27 and Fair Access Missouri filing two on September 1. They are currently under the “accepting comments” status.

“Missouri voters are ready for full legalization of cannabis. We’re working to create an open market with low taxes and low barriers to entry by qualifying and passing a robust adult-use constitutional amendment by initiative petition in 2022,” the Fair Access Missouri website reads.