Medical marijuana dispensary license issued in Sikeston, New Madrid

SIKESTON — One medical marijuana dispensary license has been issued in Sikeston, and another in New Madrid has been approved by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.

In all, 192 dispensary licenses were approved in a list released by DHSS Friday afternoon with each congressional district awarded 24 licenses.

Of the licenses approved in Missouri’s Eighth Congressional District, Sikeston Investments LLC, 850 Tanner St., was licensed as was Bootheel CannaCare LLC, 415 Mott St. in New Madrid. Four license applications were approved in Cape Girardeau as well as one in Jackson, Farmington, Festus, Fredericktown, Hayti, Hillsboro, Kennett, Mountain Grove, Park Hills, Poplar Bluff, Rolla, Saint James, Salem and West Plains in the Eight District.

“We are committed to making medical marijuana safe and accessible for qualified patients of Missouri,” said Lyndall Fraker, director of the DHSS Section for Medical Marijuana Regulation. “This phase of program implementation is vital to product accessibility for Missourians throughout the entire state.”

There were 101 applications in the Eighth District, with others in the area denied a license, including Missouri Delta Cannabis Company LLC and 2020 Medication LLC in Sikeston; Green Med LLC in Miner and Morganic Ventures LLC in Portageville.

Approximately 1,200 dispensary license applications were submitted across the state and reviewed. They were then ranked by DHSS with the highest-ranking applications in each congressional district earning approval. Those applications that were denied either did not meet all of the eligibility requirements or scored lower than those approved by DHSS.

“Today’s milestone represents over a year of effort by many people to put the final piece in place so that appropriately screened patients in Missouri can receive medical marijuana,” said Dr. Randall Williams, director of DHSS. “We thank all who have helped us to date, and we will continue to listen so that we can best serve the people of our state.”

Dispensaries that were approved must still get a business license from their respective communities and the sale of medical marijuana won’t begin until the product can be produced by licensed cultivation and manufacturing facilities.

Seed-to-sale facility certifications will be announced on Jan. 31.