Recreational marijuana sales surge in Missouri

IN PERSON OR NOT. AND THEY’RE OFF. SINCE LAST WE SPOKE, RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA SALES OPENED IN MISSOURI. BRING IN CUSTOMERS TO DISPENSARIES IN DROVES ACROSS THE STATE. AND NOW ANYONE 21 AND UP, NO MATTER WHERE THEY LIVE, CAN WALK IN AND BUY WEED. MISSOURI SURE ROLLED OUT THE GREEN CARPET IN JUST THE FIRST THREE DAYS FROM FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. LOOK AT THIS. RECREATIONAL SALES HIT EIGHT AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS FACTOR IN MEDICAL MARIJUANA SALES, TOP 12.7 MILLION. AGAIN, THAT’S IN ONE WEEKEND. AND THE NUMBERS ARE ONLY PROJECTED TO GROW. IN FACT, THE MISSOURI CANNABIS TRADE ASSOCIATION FORECAST SALES COULD TOP $1.3 BILLION BY 2026. THAT’S A LOT OF GREEN. AND ALL THIS NEW FOOT TRAFFIC COMES AS BUSINESSES ALSO WORK TO SERVE CUSTOMERS WITH MEDICAL MARIJUANA CARDS. EARLIER THIS PAST WEEK, I STOPPED BY DISPENSARY TO SEE HOW THE ROLLOUT IS GOING SO FAR. I’M HERE AT PROPER CANNABIS IN KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, WITH MEGHAN WILLIAMS, THE GENERAL MANAGER. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING US. YOU’VE HAD A WEEK UNDER YOUR BELT. THIS IS A BIG CHANGE. CAME EARLIER THAN YOU ANTICIPATED. HOW’S BUSINESS BEEN SO FAR? PHENOMENAL. WE ARE REALLY LOVING THE INCREASED FOOT TRAFFIC AND HAVING THE ABILITY TO JUST KIND OF EDUCATE THE COMMUNITY. YOU KNOW, THAT’S A BIG PART OF WHAT WE ENJOY DOING IS SPREADING THE CANNABIS LOVE AND MAKING SURE THE COMMUNITY KNOWS HOW TO BEST DO SO. HOW HAS IT BEEN AS FAR AS CLIENTELE? BECAUSE YOU KNOW SOMETHING BIG LIKE THIS. YEAH. HAS IT HAPPENED RIGHT IN MISSOURI? I IMAGINE THERE’S A LITTLE BIT OF NOVELTY AT FIRST. YOU HAD LINES AROUND THE BLOCK, RIGHT? HAS THAT TAPERED OFF A LITTLE BIT? EVER SO SLIGHTLY. BUT WHAT I THINK HAS HAPPENED IS OUR TEAM HAS REALLY DONE A GREAT JOB OF ADAPTING TO KIND OF THE HEAVIER FLOW AND WE ARE UTILIZING THINGS LIKE MEDICAL FAST TRACK FOR PATIENTS WHO STILL HAVE THAT MEDICAL CARD. WE HAVE A DRIVE THRU SO WE CAN UTILIZE THAT FOR EXPRESS PICKUP FOR ONLINE ORDERS. SO WE’VE REALLY JUST KIND OF ADAPTED AND OVERCOME ANY OF THE FLOODS OF WAVES OF PEOPLE AND MILLIONS IN SALES IN MISSOURI. AND IN THAT FIRST WEEKEND. AND YOU MENTIONED MEDICAL PATIENTS, WHICH IS GOOD BECAUSE, I MEAN, AS WE SAID, THAT IS STILL A PROGRAM THAT HERE IN MISSOURI. SO HOW DO YOU MAKE SURE YOU SET FAST TRACK? HOW DO YOU MAKE SURE THOSE CUSTOMERS CAN BE HELPED WHEN YOU HAVE THE THRONGS OF RECREATIONAL FANS WHO ARE COMING IN? YES. SO, I MEAN, ESSENTIALLY WHAT WE’RE DOING EVERY DAY IS WE’RE DEDICATING SPECIFIC PATIENT CARE SPECIALISTS OR BUD TENDERS TO THOSE MEDICAL PATIENTS. SO ANY TIME YOU COME IN, WE WILL HAVE A DEDICATED TEAM MEMBER TO GETTING THE MED PATIENTS IN AND OUT. SO THAT THE MED PATIENT IS CONTINUING TO HAVE THAT TAILORED MEDICAL EXPERIENCE AND ALLOWING THE RECREATIONAL PATIENTS TO KIND OF SHOP AND JUST HAVE FUN. IS THERE A DIFFERENCE IN PRODUCT? THERE’S NOT, RIGHT. IT’S JUST TAXES ARE DIFFERENT. THAT’S CORRECT. SO IN THE MISSOURI MARKET, THERE’S NOT A DIFFERENCE IN PHYSICAL PRODUCTS. IT IS JUST GOING TO BE THAT TAX RATE MOVING FORWARD. WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE? I MEAN, WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES THAT YOU’RE DEALING WITH RIGHT NOW? SO FOR US, WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE IS THE TO GET THESE CASHLESS ATMS BACK INTO OUR SYSTEMS. RIGHT NOW, WE’RE OPERATING ON ALL CASH, WHICH IS ACCEPTABLE, BUT WE DO WANT TO STRIVE TO GET THAT SECOND FORM OF PAYMENT. WE HAVE A POINT OF SALE SYSTEM THAT WE OPERATE WITH AND THEY ARE WORKING ON A THIRD PARTY PLATFORM. SO I THINK THAT’S GOING TO BE THE ROUTE THAT WE’RE TAKING IS THE POINT OF SALE SYSTEM THAT WE HAVE. THEY’VE KIND OF TAKEN THOSE STRIDES FOR US. SO KIND OF JUST WAITING ON THEM. WHAT HAS BEEN THE REACTION? I MEAN, YOU HAVE, LIKE YOU SAID, THE PEOPLE COMING IN SAYING, OH, MY GOSH, THIS IS THIS IS LEGAL NOW. YEAH. BUT YOU’VE BEEN TALKING TO CUSTOMERS. WHAT HAVE YOU HEARD? NOTHING BUT GREAT THINGS, HONESTLY. I MEAN, THE FACT THAT IT’S ATTAINABLE TO ANYONE, IT JUST CREATES A REALLY FUN ATMOSPHERE AND EVERYBODY IS REALLY ENJOYING THE INTERACTION. I MEAN, IS EVERYBODY IS EXCITED TO BE HERE. I HAVE TO ASK YOU ABOUT KANSAS, RIGHT? BECAUSE THE RULES ARE VERY DIFFERENT. VERY MUCH 10 MINUTES IN THAT DIRECTION LATELY. YOU CAN’T HAVE MARIJUANA IN ANY SHAPE OR FORM, CORRECT. SO HAVE YOU GOTTEN GUIDANCE FROM THE STATE ON HOW TO APPROACH THAT OR ARE YOU GIVING CUSTOMERS WHO ARE COMING FROM KANSAS SPECIAL GUIDANCE? WHAT ARE YOU TELLING THEM? SO WE JUST TREAT ALL CONSUMERS EXACTLY THE SAME. YOU KNOW, IT DOESN’T MATTER IF THEY’RE FROM KANSAS OR FROM 5 MINUTES DOWN THE ROAD. I GUESS KANSAS COULD BE 5 MINUTES DOWN THE ROAD. BUT REGARDLESS, AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE’RE JUST FOCUSING ON THE EDUCATION PIECE AND IF A PATIENT IN KANSAS WHO MEDICALLY COULDN’T GET THE MEDICAL LICENSE THAT THEY MAYBE NEED LIVING IN KANSAS, IT REALLY GIVES THEM A GREAT AVENUE TO BE ABLE TO HOP ACROSS, COME SEE US. WE’RE STILL PROVIDING THE GREAT EDUCATION BEHIND THE MEDICAL EXPERIENCE. JUST IN A RECREATIONAL MARKET. AND NOW THERE’S NO LIMITATION AND PEOPLE FROM OUT OF STATE COULD GET MEDICAL CARDS. YEAH, AS LONG AS YOU HAVE A GOVERNMENT ISSUED ID THAT’S NOT EXPIRED, YOU ARE GOOD TO GO. ALL RIGHT. WELL, MEGHAN WILLIAMS OF PROPER CANNABIS. GOOD LUCK. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME. ABSOLUTELY. THANK YOU SO MUCH. KEEP IN MIND THE RECREATIONAL ROLLOUT IS FAR FROM OVER. MANY ESTABLISHED DISPENSARIES NOW HAVE LICENSES TO SELL RECREATIONAL WEED. IT’LL BE MONTHS BEFORE SMALLER BUSINESSES GET THEIR CHANCE. SO-CALLED MICRO-BUSINESSES CAN APPLY FOR LICENSES STARTING JUNE SIX. THEY GET THEM BY SEPTEMBER SIXTH AT THE EARLIEST. THERE’S ALSO A CRIMINAL COMPONENT TO THE LAW. HERE, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS ARE NOW ON THE CLOCK TO EXPUNGE PAST MARIJUANA CONVICTIONS. COURTS HAVE UNTIL JUNE EIGHT TO EXPUNGE MISDEMEANOR POSSESSION CONVICTIONS AND DECEMBER RATE FOR FELONY CONVICTIONS. REST ASSURED,

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Updated: 11:20 AM CST Feb 12, 2023