JEFFERSON CITY — Missouri’s Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) has begun the process of issuing 60 licenses for medical marijuana cultivation facilities.

None of the successful applicants are in Gasconade County.

Applications submitted by Canvas Medical Dispensary, LLC, which listed a 3491 Lahmeyer Road address near Bland, and Kind Enterprises, LLC, with two addresses listed between three applications in the 3100 block of Wright Road south of Owensville (3123, 3132 and 3123 Wright Road) were all denied, according to the DHSS.

Applications which were denied in the region included Fortner Industries, 6048 Rock Ridge Road north of Gerald (three applications), Trinity Cultivation, LLC, 515 West Flottmann Road, Gerald, and Tranquil Acres, 22461 Maries County Road 4178 near Belle.

Approved as cultivation facilities in the region were JG Missouri, LCC., 701 Route DD, Cuba (three applications), Hippos, LLC., 247 Route V in Vienna, and GF Biomass, 206 Commerce Drive in Cuba.

Hippos LLC intends to place a cultivation facility at the Thomas Coffey Industrial Development Park at 247 Route V — the industrial development park Tom Coffey donated the land for many years ago.

Cultivation facilities whose applications are approved will receive notification of that approval to the email addresses of the individual who created the User Account in the Medical Marijuana Registry Portal, the individual listed in the application as the Primary Contact, and at least one other individual identified in the application.

Once approval notifications have been sent, notifications of application denial will be issued as well. Denial notifications will be sent to the individual who created the User Account in the Medical Marijuana Registry Portal.

The 60 facilities being licensed are the top-scoring facilities that meet all eligibility requirements as prescribed by the program rules.

“Throughout this entire process, it has been important to us to be fair and transparent as we implement all pieces of this program,” said Lyndall Fraker, director of the DHSS Section for Medical Marijuana Regulation. “This is why we chose to employ a ‘blind’ application scorer who had no access to applicants’ identifying information.”

The Department anticipates having all approval and denial notifications issued by the end of the week. Once all approvals and denials have been issued, the Department will post the final rank/score of all medical marijuana cultivation facility applicants to its website.

“I’m incredibly appreciative of Lyndall and his entire team for getting Missouri to this pivotal point,” said Dr. Randall Williams, director of DHSS. “The manner in which they have efficiently actualized the amendment that voters approved last year is an excellent example of good governance.”

Medical marijuana transportation facilities

The DHSS has also completed the process of issuing the first round of certifications for medical marijuana transportation facilities.

Transportation applications can be submitted at any time. The department will review and approve or deny applications when received from this point forward.

Transportation facilities whose applications are approved have been notified by email. Notifications of application denial have been issued as well. Denial notifications were sent to the individual who created the user account. Denials are issued for several reasons, including failure to meet minimum qualifications, failure to return application after notice of rejection or application withdrawal. 

Regulations specific to medical marijuana transportation facilities can be found at 19 CSR 30-95.100 of the Missouri Code of State Regulations (p. 30-31).