FERGUSON, Mo. — Marijuana is now legal in Missouri.
That means people can be in possession of up to 3 oz. of marijuana, marijuana charges are expunged from criminal records and dispensaries can apply to sell marijuana recreationally. The state has until February 7 to approve licenses.
Dominique Nash is happy her vote in November helped give the industry the green light to expand.
"I'm a mom who struggles with post-partum depression," Nash said. "When you struggle with mental issues, you don't want to be heavily medicated with western medicine because of side effects. I also need to still function as a mother and person. As a mom, I can't go anywhere to anybody's house. I like being able to come to a facility that's certified and backed by the state, to take care of my medicinal needs."
She plans on renewing her medicinal marijuana card. From now on, they are valid for three years.
"There's some benefits to medical cards," Greenlight Dispensary partner Tom Bommarito said. "(It) protects you at your job. You can't be fired for having a blood test that had marijuana unless you were intoxicated at work. You can't do that."
In 2021, the industry created 7,000 jobs, Bommarito said. The THC tax in Illinois is 31%. In Missouri it's 12%, local taxing districts have the ability to charge an additional 3%.
"There's another 3% tax the cities get to pick up and deiced what to do with that money," Bommarito said. "They can say, hey we want this to go to schools or to help with veterans."