On Monday, the Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) Division of Cannabis Regulation (DCR) announced the first round of lottery winners.
The names of the businesses and owners have not been made public at this time, as the state will still need to verify the eligibility of the applicants selected by the lottery process.
The application period for the inaugural round of microbusiness licenses concluded on August 10, 2023. During this time, DCR received a total of 1,625 applications, originally announced as 1,601.
These applications were categorized into 577 wholesale marijuana applications and 1,048 dispensary applications, with some districts receiving hundreds of applications, while others received as few as 20 applications.
The Division of Cannabis Regulation (DCR) is responsible for issuing a total of 48 microbusiness licenses in the first round of applications and the subsequent lottery. The allocation of licenses is balanced, with each of the eight Missouri congressional districts receiving six microbusiness license recipients. Among these, two applicants in each district are awarded microbusiness dispensary licenses, while four applicants will secure microbusiness wholesale facility licenses.
The random lottery drawing was conducted by the Missouri Lottery, in effort to ensure fairness and transparency in the selection process.
Following the lottery drawing, the Division of Cannabis Regulation will undertake a review of the applications to ensure compliance with regulations and eligibility criteria.
Approved winners of the marijuana microbusiness lottery will be granted their microbusiness licenses on or before October 4, 2023.
The introduction of marijuana microbusiness licenses in Missouri signifies a strategic move towards fostering a diverse and competitive cannabis industry.
As the cannabis industry continues to evolve, the microbusiness license program sets the stage for a dynamic and inclusive market landscape in the state.
Full list of lottery results below.
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