Missouri officials have transferred $23,555,124 in revenue from the state’s adult-use marijuana program to three key agencies, fulfilling funding mandates established by the voter-approved constitutional amendment that legalized marijuana.
According to the Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS), the funds were divided evenly, with $7.85 million each going to the Missouri Veterans Commission, the Missouri State Public Defender, and DHSS itself.
The Veterans Commission will use the funding to provide health care and other services to military veterans and their families. The Public Defender’s Office will apply the money toward legal assistance for low-income Missourians. The portion retained by DHSS will go toward grants supporting low-barrier, evidence-based drug addiction treatment, overdose prevention and reversal, and reintegration services like job placement, housing, and counseling.
The transfer was made in accordance with Article XIV, Section 2 of the Missouri Constitution and approved under House Bill 10.1035. The latest distribution brings the state’s cumulative marijuana revenue transfers to tens of millions since adult-use sales launched in early 2023.
Missouri voters legalized recreational marijuana through a ballot initiative in November 2022, with retail sales beginning the following February.
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