Nearly 2,200 people have paid thousands of dollars in application fees each to open medical marijuana businesses in Missouri, according to the Department of Health and Senior Services.
The department released a list Tuesday of the applications for dispensaries, cultivation, testing and manufacturing facilities it received during the initial application period from Aug. 3 to Aug. 19. Businesses with addresses in Boone County make up 67 of the thousands of applications.
Applicants had to pay $6,000 for dispensary and manufacturer applications and $10,000 for cultivator applications, according to previous Missourian reporting. The health department plans to approve or deny applications within 150 days of receiving them.
After that, entrepreneurs will have the option to pay another $2,000 to apply for a Columbia license. The Columbia City Council in August decided to give business owners 21 days after receiving a state-issued license to apply for a city license. The city will then have 60 days to review those applications.
Depending on how many applications are approved by the state, the 51 businesses hoping to open a dispensary in Columbia will be facing tough competition. The Columbia City Council passed an ordinance in August that limits the number of dispensaries in the city to seven.
To read more, visit our partners at the Columbia Missourian.