Missouri Cannabis Regulators Plan Final Lottery with New Anti-Predatory Rules
State cannabis officials will hold education sessions across Missouri in June before opening the final lottery for 77 microbusiness marijuana licenses.
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI — Missouri cannabis regulators are preparing for the state’s final lottery to award 77 microbusiness marijuana licenses, implementing new rules designed to prevent predatory business deals that previously led to license revocations.
Lesley Turek, the chief equity officer for the Missouri Division of Cannabis Regulation, will travel across the state in June to conduct education sessions about the upcoming lottery. The sessions will be held in Kansas City, Jefferson City, and St. Louis, along with five webinars to outline application requirements and answer questions.
“Generally, the changes needed to happen so that we could bring the focus back to the intention of the program,” Turek said in an interview with The Missouri Independent.
New Rules Target Ownership Violations
The Division of Cannabis Regulation will implement new rules at the end of May that were proposed in 2024 after regulators revoked numerous licenses due to unconstitutional ownership deals. The application window for the final lottery will open sometime in midsummer, according to Turek.
The microbusiness program was established through the 2022 constitutional amendment that Missouri voters approved to legalize recreational marijuana. According to a press release issued Tuesday by the division, the program was “designed to expand opportunities for marginalized or under-represented individuals to participate in the state’s regulated marijuana industry.”
Turek explained that the purpose of the program is providing “a small business opportunity for those people who wouldn’t otherwise have the chance to be a part of the cannabis industry to have an opportunity for facility ownership.”
Rocky Implementation Since 2023
The microbusiness program has faced significant challenges since Missouri held its first lottery for microbusiness licenses in 2023. For nearly three years, The Missouri Independent has documented issues with the program’s implementation.
The new regulations represent the state’s effort to address problems that emerged during the initial rollout of the microbusiness licensing system. Cannabis regulators identified unconstitutional ownership arrangements that undermined the program’s equity goals.
Upcoming Education Efforts
The June education sessions will focus heavily on explaining the new rules that take effect at the end of May. Turek’s statewide tour aims to ensure potential applicants understand the requirements and changes before the application window opens.
The final lottery marks the end of Missouri’s microbusiness licensing process, which was intended to create opportunities for small-scale cannabis operations owned by individuals from communities disproportionately impacted by marijuana prohibition.
