Applications to grow your own marijuana for personal use are now open to residents 21 years old and older.
The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services opened information and forms to the public Saturday as Amendment 3 guidelines continue to be rolled out. The change also joins the newly released application to have sentences for certain marijuana crimes thrown out.
All Missouri residents applying for personal cultivation must be over 21 and pay a $100 fee. However, a month-long wait follows for those interested, as applications will be accepted starting Feb 6.
“It’s just another step in the process to making marijuana legal for adults over the age of 21,” said John Payne, campaign manager for Legal Missouri 2022. “Over the next year or so, there’s going to be different milestones that happen. But pretty much by the end of 2023, this amendment will be fully implemented, which will be the fastest implementation of an adult use program in the country today.”
Missourians first approved Amendment 3 in the November midterm election with more than 53% of the vote– amending the Missouri Constitution to legalize recreational marijuana. The amendment took effect Dec.8 and Missouri residents 21 or older can now legally have up to 3 ounces of marijuana.
Those with an approved personal cultivation ID card are allowed to grow 18 plants at a time, six mature ones, six immature ones over 14 inches, and six more that are seedlings or clones. All plants are required to be non-visible to the public and stay in an enclosed and locked area. Additionally, any amount of marijuana above 3 ounces must stay in that secured area.
“Just as many people prefer to grow their own tomatoes and believe they’re superior of what you can buy in a store,” Missouri NORML Coordinator, attorney Dan Viets of Columbia said. “Many people who grow their own cannabis find that it’s not only much cheaper, but they believe that what they grow themselves is of a superior quality. They derive a certain satisfaction from growing their own.”
Personal cultivation ID cards are valid for 12 months and are renewable. Medical licensing and personal licensing for growing plants cannot mix- consumers are only able to hold one license at a time.
“This is an incredibly important and proud moment for me. I’ve personally been working on this for over 20 years,” Payne said. “To see this go from something that people said just never would happen, not in the state of Missouri, not in a conservative place like this, to now being the law and really starting to take life, that’s incredibly gratifying and it’s a great thing for the state of Missouri.”
Those interested in forms for application can go online for more information and updates.
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