Just 87 days after Missourians went to the polls to vote for mairjuana legalization the state opened for its first weekend of “adult use” sales. It was the quickest adult use implementation in the country after Arizona, which did so in 80 days.
Missourians were obviously ready to take advantage of their new broader recreational access. On Friday, Saturday and Sunday, marijuana dispensaries sold $12,689,965 worth of product.
By comparison, Illinois, with twice Missouri’s population, sold $3,176,256 of cannabis on its first day in January 2020. These record numbers are despite the fact several cities, like Columbia, won’t be allowing adult use sales until this week.
Out of the $12.7 million in opening weekend sales in Missouri, $4.2 million worth of marijuana was purchased by Missouri medical marijuana patients, while $8.5 million were adult use purchases.
“Our industry was adamant that we would be ready on day one to deliver for Missourians, but I never would have imagined this type of reception,” said Andrew Mullins, executive director of McCann Trade (The Missouri Cannabis Trade Association) is an association of business owners, professionals, patients, and consumers responsible for helping to implement a successful, safe, compliant medical and adult use cannabis program in Missouri.
“To have sold more on opening day than Illinois is quite astounding. These opening weekend sales numbers are a testament to what a great program the Missouri Department of Health has run as well as the level of excitement we see from Missourians about cannabis legalization. The best is yet to come.”
On Friday, the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services Division of Cannabis Regulations issued 207 comprehensive dispensary licenses, 72 comprehensive infused product manufacturing licenses, and 56 comprehensive cultivation licenses.
Dec. 8 marked the first day Missouri adults could legally possess up to three ounces of marijuana.