Missouri regulators will begin accepting the third round of marijuana microbusiness license applications next month, with licenses expected to be issued later this year.
The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) announced Monday that applications will be accepted electronically through the state’s online registry portal from July 13 through July 27. The lottery to select applicants is scheduled for September 9, with license issuance expected in December.
Microbusiness licenses are intended to give marginalized and underrepresented individuals a pathway into Missouri’s legal marijuana market. The licenses are limited to eligible applicants and may be issued as either a microbusiness dispensary facility or a microbusiness wholesale facility.
According to DHSS, an entity, including individuals, may apply for and obtain only one microbusiness license. That means an individual’s name may appear in only one application. Appearing in more than one application can result in denial of all applications in which that person is listed.
Applicants also may not have an owner who is already an owner of an existing medical, comprehensive or microbusiness marijuana facility license or certification. DHSS said the restriction is meant to ensure applicants have an equal chance at receiving a license.
To qualify, microbusiness applicants must be majority-owned and operated by individuals who each meet at least one of the state’s eligibility requirements. At least one eligible individual who contributes to the majority ownership must also complete pre-application training specified by the department.
All timely applications submitted with the required fee will be entered into the lottery. Late applications, or applications submitted without the fee, will be denied and will not be included in the drawing.
After the application window closes, qualifying applicants will be sorted by congressional district and license type, either wholesale or dispensary, before being assigned a sequential applicant identifier. Each group will be treated as its own lottery set, for a total of 16 lottery drawings.
DHSS said all applicants will receive an email notice with their applicant identifier before the lottery. Results will be posted on the department’s website by congressional district once available.
The department also said fingerprint submissions will not be required within two weeks of application submission for this round. Instead, fingerprint submissions will be required after the lottery from individuals subject to disqualifying felony offense review, as needed for top-drawn applications.
Missouri voters approved recreational marijuana legalization in 2022, with licensed adult-use sales launching in February 2023. The state’s microbusiness license structure was included as part of the voter-approved legalization law.
DHSS said applicants who need assistance with eligibility requirements or application forms can contact Facility Application Services at [CannabisFAS@health.mo.gov](mailto:CannabisFAS@health.mo.gov). Additional information on outreach events, eligibility requirements and application instructions is available through the state’s cannabis website.
