Missouri regulators received approximately 2,100 license applications for only 348 licenses available. The deadline for submission was Saturday, but it had been extended until Monday as Missouri wanted to give companies wishing to operate medical marijuana facilities more time to file applications. More than 1,200 requests have been received in the last three days, including 800 in the 24 hours before the deadline, officials said.
Missouri officials will have to review all these license applications. The state's Department of Health and Services for the Elderly (DHSS) now has 150 days to approve or reject each application. A third party will then begin to evaluate each application, using a blind process in which the name and credentials of each company have been removed from the submission. Candidates will find out if they succeeded or not in January 2020.
The director of DHSS, Dr. Randall Williams, said he was very appreciative of the "so many Missouri residents" feedback on the process.
"While our main goals have always been to prioritize patients and maintain the integrity of the program, we also believe that this illustrates good governance in the implementation of a complex initiative embraced by the overwhelming majority of patients. Missouri voters, "he said.
DHSS will publish a map of facilities and clinics in the coming weeks. He said he had already approved 6,500 requests for qualified patients and caregivers earlier than expected. Qualification requirements for medical cannabis include cancer, epilepsy, glaucoma, migraines, chronic pain, post-traumatic stress disorder, terminal illness, hepatitis C, inflammatory bowel disease, Chrohn's disease, Huntington's disease, autism, neuropathies, sickle cell disease, agitation of Alzheimer's disease, cachexia and wasting syndrome.
A total of 60 culture facilities, 192 dispensaries, 86 drug manufacturing facilities and 10 analytical laboratories will be used.