The Department of Health and Senior Services, as of Friday, had cleared 17 dispensaries to open their doors, as well as 11 cultivators and one manufacturer of cannabis-infused products. Not all of the approved businesses — including the lone manufacturer — have started selling products. Those lucky winners, critics say, are beneficiaries of arbitrary caps on the number of licenses and of a flawed scoring process, which have reduced the availability of medical cannabis and limited competition. Many applicants who did not pass the application process are suing the state to overturn Missouri’s licensing caps, saying the limits harm patient access to medical cannabis, in violation of the constitutional amendment that instituted the state’s program.
Jack Suntrup, stltoday.com | the #1 St. Louis website, 12/13/2020 15:17:00