Nearly one out of every 10 jobs that were created in Missouri last year came from the state’s medical marijuana industry, according to an analysis of state labor data that was released by a trade group on Wednesday. The cannabis sector added almost 7,000 new jobs, which is about 10 percent of the 77,600 jobs that the Missouri Department of Labor tracked for 2021 overall, the Missouri Medical Cannabis Trade Association (MoCannTrade) said. The group combined the Labor Department figures with separate data from the Missouri Department of Health and Human Services that shows it has issued 6,596 state agent ID cards that people need to work in the cannabis industry. MoCannTrade said that “all but a few hundred of those cards have been issued since retail sales commenced in late October 2020.” “Missouri’s medical cannabis industry is delivering on its promise of not only providing safe, affordable and convenient access for patients but also helping to infuse the state’s economy with sizable investment and millions in new tax revenue,” Andrew Mullins, executive director of the association, said in a press release. The group also noted that the state has registered nearly 170,000 medical cannabis patients, and sales of marijuana products
Kyle Jaeger, Marijuana Moment, 02/02/2022 11:52:00