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Legal recreational pot sales begin for Missouri adults
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Recreational marijuana sales in Missouri officially began Friday after the state health department unexpectedly began approving dispensary permits early.
Medical marijuana has been legal in the state since a ballot measure passed in 2018, but voters went a step further this November by approving a constitutional amendment legalizing the drug for anyone 21 or older. The new law made Missouri the 21st state to allow recreational use.
Under the amendment, non-medicinal pot use became legal in the state in December. But sales were stalled because the health department had until Friday to issue business licenses.
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Almost all of the state’s medical marijuana dispensaries applied to sell recreational pot, according to Lisa Cox, spokeswoman for the Department of Health and Senior Services.
Of the medical marijuana facilities that applied to sell cannabis recreationally, 335 were approved as of Friday. That includes 207 dispensaries, 72 manufacturers and 56 cultivation facilities, according to the agency.
Close to 200 dispensaries were inspected Friday and given the go-ahead to sell to consumers.
Ryan Herget, CEO of Good Day Farm, said the company expects sales at its 19 Missouri stores, which previously only sold cannabis for medical use, to double or triple. He said the company hired about 200 new employees in anticipation of increased demand.
One of the company’s first customers Friday was Gregory Williams, 55, of St. Louis, who welcomed the legalization of marijuana.
“It means a little liberation, a little less red tape,” along with revenue for the city and for business people, Williams said. He plans to buy weekly.
Teresa Gooch, 62, of Troy, Missouri, said she recently had a medical procedure and uses marijuana for pain relief. She said it’s “amazing” to be able to go to a store and try different strains to see what works best.
Adults who want to grow their own cannabis can now apply for a permit through the health department.
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If the agency does not approve or deny licenses by Friday, dispensaries that previously only sold medical marijuana will automatically be permitted to sell recreational pot as well.
Missouri’s constitutional amendment to legalize recreational pot use also called for the expungement of records of past arrests and convictions for nonviolent marijuana offenses, except for selling to minors or driving under the influence.
More than 5,200 past crimes had been wiped from Missourians’ records as of Thursday.
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JEFFERSON COUNTY, Mo. – Two people are behind bars after a man reportedly attacked a Jefferson County deputy with a screwdriver during an attempted arrest over the weekend.
Prosecutors have charged Nicholas Davis, 47, and Amanda Davis, 45, of Dittmer, Missouri, with felonies in the investigation.
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The alleged attack followed a traffic stop of a driver in the 9500 block of Jones Creek Road on July 7, though the driver was not Nicholas or Amanda.
According to court documents obtained by FOX 2, Nicholas reportedly came out of his nearby home, yelled at a deputy and started approaching him while holding a screwdriver. The deputy initially ordered Nicholas to back away, then used pepper spray.
Per court documents, the deputy attempted to arrest Nicholas, who then struck him in the chest with the screwdriver. Amanda reportedly approached the deputy and pulled him away from Nicholas before both ran inside their home.
The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office says the situation prompted an hours-long standoff involving negotiators, a SWAT team and a K-9 deputy. The situation led to Nicholas refusing warnings and being bitten by a K-9.
Nicholas and Amanda are both jailed in the Jefferson County Jail without bond. Nicholas is charged with first-degree assault on a special victim and armed criminal action. Amanda is charged with resisting/interfering with arrest.
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ST. LOUIS — The new St. Louis schools superintendent will be officially sworn into office today. Dr. Keisha Scarlett took over the job in July after the retirement of Dr. Kelvin Adams. She was assistant superintendent in the Seattle Public School District. The installation ceremony is at 6:15 p.m. before the regular school board meeting.
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ST. LOUIS — A gasoline tanker truck crashed into a Metro transit center near Riverview and Hall Streets early Tuesday morning and knocked over a power pole. The pole is leaning on other power lines. Police have the area blocked off here because there is a downed power line. Ameren and Metro crews are also on the scene.
The incident happened around 12:30 a.m. It’s still unclear exactly what caused the crash, but we do that there was a second vehicle somehow involved. The airbags on that second vehicle did deploy.
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Police at the scene have not been able to give us a lot of details. Metro officials tell FOX 2 that the transit center here is operating this morning for passengers and buses. Access to certain areas will be limited here as clean up unfolds.
A Metro spokesperson says half of the station isn’t being used right now because of safety issues. It isn’t impacting overall bus operations, everything is just happening on the other side of transit center.
The extent of the damage to the actual transit center is still unclear, but I’m told it does not appear to be extreme. A Metro spokesperson tells me there were no injuries to any metro workers or passengers. The tanker driver also was not injured.
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