Missouri
Marijuana Laws
What you need to know as a marijuana patient
The Missouri Medical Marijuana Program
Through the signing of Amendment 2 on the 6th of November, 2018, Missouri voters decided in a 65% majority to legalize medical marijuana for state-wide patient access. The bill shortly went into effect the following month, and the plans were now in place for the creation of Missouri’s Medical Marijuana Regulation program, with a clearly-defined set of Missouri marijuana laws serving as its legal framework.
What followed was a long-winded road of advisory committees, legislation revisions, and product licensing, throughout all of 2019, as well as the better half of 2020. While the Covid Pandemic proved a significant challenge to its eagerly-awaited MMJ industry, Missouri officially launched the medical marijuana program on October 17th, 2020, with its first dispensary sale of cannabis-based medication.
Fast forward a few more months, and in January 2021 the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services reported that the state’s MMP compiled 100,000 registered patients, with a total of 56 authorized dispensary facilities serving medical marijuana products. The patient community, alongside the dispensary market, would only have further room to grow from thereon.
Program Approval Date
December 2018
Patient ID Card Validity
1 year
Application Fee
$25
Certification Renewal
Annually*
* The MMP-issued Identification Card expiry date may vary. Your physician’s recommendation, along with your medical marijuana purchasing rights, are only valid for 1 year. Following that, we recommend you book a re-evaluation with our licensed doctors.
Being a Responsible MMJ Patient in MO
While being the proud owner of a MO medical marijuana ID card grants you an invaluable advantage in terms of your health and well-being, one should never forget the great number of responsibilities that come along with this medical boon.
As a law-abiding Missouri state citizen, you should be aware of both your rights and your responsibilities while you are undergoing your medical cannabis treatment:
- You are allowed to purchase up to 4 ounces of marijuana every 30-day period. If your specific treatment imposes a higher dosage, the Department of Health may set a different purchasing limit that will not exceed a physician-recommended 60-day supply. However, you have no legal right to possess anything exceeding the explicitly set limit.
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As per state regulation, you are allowed to cultivate your own marijuana at home, IF you have a Missouri patient cultivation card. This card comes on top of your regular medical marijuana ID card, and you will have to pay an extra $102.30 fee in order to obtain it. A Missouri patient cultivation card allows you to grow up to 6 flowering plants at a time.
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In Missouri, possession of a controlled substance such as hashish and/or marijuana concentrates falls under the same Schedule I Drug regulations. Therefore, if your medical treatment includes products that are hashish-based OR made from any other type of marijuana concentrate, know that the penalties for unlawful use remain the same.
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The only authorized locations for your medical marijuana purchases are state-approved dispensaries. Personal sales are highly prohibited by the court of law and you should NOT engage with them in any way, shape, or form.
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Marijuana paraphernalia (such as bongs, tobacco blunts, rolling paper) is NOT necessary for any type of marijuana treatment. You have no legal excuse for being found in possession of such an item, or, even worse, to be using it for your own product manufacturing.
With all of this in mind, we have listed the four main types of marijuana penalties that Missouri medical marijuana law can hold you accountable for.
Five types of marijuana penalties:
Missouri Marijuana Laws:
Possession
As per its rewritten legislation in 2014, marijuana charges in Missouri became punishable with just a legal fine for first offenders for the quantity of 10 grams or less. Even still, this offense would still count as a criminal misdemeanor related to the Missouri drug possession laws.
These changes took effect on the 1st of January 2017, but possession penalties for any amount exceeding the 10-gram non-patient limit remained in place. With this in mind, Missouri’s marijuana possession laws are as follows:
- First-time possession offenses of up to 10 grams of marijuana will be charged with a Class D misdemeanor, which is punishable with a legal fine of up to $500, without imprisonment. Subsequent offenses will instead be treated as a misdemeanor class A by Missouri law enforcement, even if the possessed quantity remains under 10 grams.
- Being found in possession of anywhere between 10 and 35 grams of marijuana is also considered a Class A misdemeanor as per Missouri law. This is punishable with a sentence of up to 1-year jail time, as well as a fine of $2,000.
- Being found in possession of anywhere between 35 grams and 30 kilograms of marijuana is considered a Class D felony which is punishable with a sentence of up to 7-years of jail time, as well as a fine of $10,000.
- Violation of Missouri possession laws also results in a 90-day driver’s license suspension if the offender is under 21 years of age. The suspension period is extended to 1 year for adults 21 and over found in violation while operating a motor vehicle.
Possesion
Quantity
<10g (First offense)
<10g (Second offense)
10 — 35g
35g —30kg
Penalty
Misdemeanor
Misdemeanor
Misdemeanor
Felony
Jail time
N/A
1 year
1 year
7 years
Legal fine
$500
$2000
$2000
$2000
Special Considerations
Possession offenses also result in your driver’s license suspension:
- Offenders under 21 — 90 days
- Offenders over 21 — 1 year
Missouri Marijuana Laws:
Distribution/Intent to Sell
Missouri weed laws for distribution and/or the intent to sell remain increasingly consistent until the quantity of 30 kilograms. From that point on, the law treats the offense as trafficking, rather than distribution. Here is an exhaustive list of the penalties:
Distribution
- Selling or manufacturing 35 grams or less of marijuana is considered a Class E felony, being punishable with up to 4 years jail-time, as well as a legal fine of $10,000.
- Selling or manufacturing anywhere between 35 grams and 30 kilograms of marijuana is considered a Class C felony, being punishable with a prison sentence ranging between 3 to 10 years, as well as a legal fine of $10,000.
- Distributing 35 grams or less of marijuana to a minor is considered a Class C felony that is punishable with anywhere between 3 to 10 years jail time, as well as a legal fine of $10,000.
- Distributing anywhere between 35 grams and 30 kilograms to a minor is considered a Class B felony that is punishable with a prison sentence ranging between 5 to 15 years, and an accompanying fine equal to double the profits resulting from the sale.
- Distributing marijuana near school grounds, parks, and/or public housing is treated as a Class A felony that is punishable with a prison sentence ranging between 10 to 30 years and an accompanying fine equal to double the profits resulting from the sale. Alternatively, the court ruling may include life imprisonment as a punishment.
- Administering or operating a room and/or building that is used for the purposes of cannabis manufacturing, distribution, or storage can also result in a felony charge. This is punishable with a prison sentence of up to 4 years, as well as a legal fine of $10,000.
Sale and Distribution
Quantity
<35g
35g — 30kg
<35g
to a minor
35g —30kg
to a minor
Any quantity
near schools
Operating a room or building for the manufacturing of cannabis
Penalty
Felony
Felony
Felony
Felony
Felony
Jail time
4 years
3 —10 years
3 —10 years
5 — 15 years
10 — 30 years /
life imprisonment
4 years
Legal fine
$10,000
$10,000
$10,000
Double of sale profits
Double of sale profits
$10,000
- Distribution of any quantity beyond 30 kilograms falls under Missouri’s drug trafficking laws.
- If found in possession of 30 to 100 kilograms of marijuana, the trafficking offense is a Class C felony that is punishable with a prison sentence ranging between 3 to 10 years, as well as a legal fine of $10,000.
- If found in possession of more than 100 kilograms of marijuana, the trafficking offense is a Class B felony that is punishable with a prison sentence ranging between 5 to 15 years, and an accompanying fine equal to double the profits resulting from the trafficking acquisition. The penalties are the same for the quantity of 500 cannabis plants or more.
- For distributing or manufacturing anywhere between 30 to 100 kilograms, the trafficking offense is a Class B felony that is punishable with a prison sentence ranging between 5 to 15 years, and an accompanying fine equal to double the profits resulting from the sale.
- For distributing or manufacturing more than 100 kilograms, the trafficking offense is a Class A felony that is punishable with a prison sentence ranging between 10 to 30 years, and an accompanying fine equal to double the profits resulting from the sale. Alternatively, the court ruling may include life imprisonment as a punishment.
Additional Information
It is vital to note that Missouri also takes into consideration two other types of offenses that are added to the above-listed categories:
- Prior Drug Offender – should you be found guilty of a previous drug-related offense, and you are accused of a felony of classes C, D, or E, your offense will be raised to a class above, with the matching sentence and legal fine.
- Persistent Drug Offender – should you be found guilty of two or multiple previous drug-related offenses, and you are accused of a felony of classes C, D, or E, your offense will be raised to two classes above, with a matching sentence and legal fine.
Trafficking
Quantity
30 — 100kg (Possession)
>100kg/500 plants (Possession)
30 — 100kg (Distributing)
>100kg (Distributing)
Penalty
Felony
Felony
Felony
Felony
Jail time
3 —10 years
5 — 15 years
5 — 15 years
10 — 30 years /
life imprisonment
Legal fine
$10,000
Double of sale profits
Double of sale profits
Double of sale profits
Additional Information
Prior Drug Offenders (1 previous drug-related offense) will have their current felony charge raised to one class above.
Persistent Drug Offenders (2+ previous drug-related offense) will have their current felony charge raised to two classes above.
Missouri Marijuana Laws:
Cultivation
As mentioned above, Missouri residents holding a patient cultivation license do not need to worry about infringing the law up to a 6-plant quantity of cannabis. However, there are explicit legal penalties around the cultivation of cannabis without a state-approved license. Take note of them below:
- All cultivation penalties fall under Missouri felony laws.
- Cultivation of 35 grams or less is treated as a Class E felony that is punishable with up to 4 years in prison, and a legal fine of $10,000.
- Cultivation of 35 grams or more is treated as a Class C felony that is punishable with a prison sentence ranging between 3 to 10 years, a legal fine of $10,000.
- Cultivation near school grounds is treated as a Class B felony that is punishable with a prison sentence ranging between 5 to 15 years, and a fine equal to double the profits of cultivation.
Cultivation
Quantity
<35g
>35g
Near school grounds
Penalty
Felony
Felony
Felony
Jail time
4 years
3 —10 years
5 — 15 years
Legal fine
$10,000
$10,000
Double of sale profits
Missouri Marijuana Laws:
Paraphernalia
Missouri paraphernalia laws are simple, in essence. Possession offenses fall on the lower end of the punishment scale, especially for first-time offenders. Sale and distribution, on the other hand, will incur a much harsher punishment:
- Paraphernalia possession offenses fall under Missouri misdemeanor laws, whereas distribution falls under felony.
- Possession of marijuana paraphernalia is treated as a misdemeanor that is punishable with a legal fine of $500 for first offenses.
- Subsequent possession offenses are treated as misdemeanors punishable with a sentence of up to 1-year of jail-time and a legal fine of $2,000.
- The sale and/or distribution of paraphernalia is treated as a felony that is punishable with a sentence of up to 4 years of jail time and a legal fine of $10,000.
| Paraphernalia | |||
| Offense | Penalty | Jail Time | Legal Fine |
| Possession — First offense | Misdemeanor | N/A | $500 |
| Possession —
Second offense |
Misdemeanor | 1 year | $2000 |
| Distribution | Felony | 4 years | $10,000 |
Missouri Marijuana Laws:
FAQs
Questions about MO Laws and Regulations
While the penalties for each medical marijuana law are highly important to take note of, we know that state regulations do not always cover the niche cases.
Below you can find a list of potential FAQs that you might have regarding the current state of medical marijuana in Missouri:
Does Missouri have medical marijuana?
Yes. And thanks to the state’s open-minded attitude towards cannabis-based medication, holding the title of Missouri medical marijuana patient provides you with a number of benefits.
A Missouri medical marijuana ID card enables patients to:
- Buy marijuana from Missouri dispensaries
- Have marijuana or marijuana products legally in Missouri.
- Use cannabis or cannabis products in the privacy of their homes.
- Grow marijuana on their own private property if they have a patient cultivation license.
- Enjoy full legal protection in regards to possession, use, and cultivation of marijuana as long as they observe the program rules.
Are dabs a felony in Missouri?
Due to their exceptionally high concentration of THC, yes, they can certainly net you a felony charge. “Dabs“ are a wax or honeycomb-like form of butane hash oil (BHC) that contain a very high concentration of around 80% THC. For reference, a dosage of traditional cannabis contains around 10-15% THC in its chemical composition.
Is weed legal in Missouri?
For medical purposes, yes. Qualified Missouri residents may register in the state’s MMP and reap the numerous health benefits of cannabis-based medication, easily acquired from one of the state’s many dispensaries.
However, recreational or adult-use marijuana remains illegal in Missouri.
How much marijuana is a felony in Missouri?
Any cannabis-related offense of at least 35 grams (or less, in the specific cases listed above) can result in a felony charge in the state of Missouri.
Is CBD legal in Missouri?
Yes, CBD oil and other CBD-based products are legal in Missouri, under one condition. Patients who want to purchase CBD oil in Missouri need to be apply to be a part of the Missouri Hemp Extract Registration Program. This will allow them to make their CBD-related purchases at one of the two state-approved facilities through a special program-issued ID card.
How to get license to grow medical weed in Missouri?
Acquiring a Missouri cultivation license for the purposes growing cannabis plants in your own home can easily be done by submitting an additional application form when submitting your regular medical card application. Note that a cultivation license incurs a fee of $102.30, in addition to the regular $25 med card fee.
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