Hashish retailers in Missouri rang up greater than $100 million in gross sales in February, the primary month of authorized leisure marijuana gross sales within the state. According to information from the Missouri Division of Well being and Senior Companies launched on Friday, whole hashish gross sales got here to $102.9 million final month. The determine consists of almost $72 million in adult-use hashish retail purchases, whereas gross sales of medical marijuana in Missouri topped $31 million for the month.
Missouri voters legalized the leisure use of hashish in final yr’s midterm elections with the passage of Modification 3, a poll measure that was permitted with greater than 53% of the vote. Gross sales of leisure marijuana started at current medical marijuana on February 3, lower than three months after voters permitted the adult-use hashish legalization measure.
Andrew Mullins, government director of the Missouri Hashish Commerce Affiliation (MOCann), mentioned that the opening month of regulated gross sales of adult-use hashish within the state eclipsed the launch of leisure pot gross sales in neighboring Illinois in 2020.
“That’s greater than double what Illinois did in a state with twice the inhabitants,” Mullins mentioned about Missouri’s $71.7 million in adult-use hashish gross sales final month. “So it actually reveals the curiosity and pleasure for the brand new adult-use trade in Missouri.”
Mullins famous that if the tempo of gross sales throughout the first month continues, Missouri hashish retailers will promote greater than a billion {dollars} price of weed this yr. He attributed a portion of February’s gross sales to guests from adjoining states. Out of Missouri’s eight neighboring states, solely Illinois has legalized leisure marijuana thus far.
“Canna-tourism of us which will determine to come back to Missouri to entry and make the most of hashish,” Mullins told St. Louis Public Radio. “That appears to even be having an influence on the quantity of gross sales that Missouri’s experiencing.”
Laurie Gregory, the chief advertising and marketing officer for Good Day Farm, mentioned that the corporate’s dispensaries in cities akin to Kansas Metropolis and Independence positioned close to the borders with different states noticed important visitors from out-of-state clients.
“Opening weekend we had sufferers who drove from Texas and Illinois,” Gregory mentioned. “There are states round Missouri that don’t have a program. Anecdotally, what we hear is that the border city dispensaries are having important gross sales due to that.”
Regulated Weed Costs Decrease Than Neighboring Illinois
Costs in comparison with hashish retailers within the one neighboring state with regulated leisure marijuana gross sales have been additionally cited as an element behind the sturdy numbers in Missouri.
“On the totally different shops, we have now flower strains priced from $25 to $40,” mentioned Gregory. “In Illinois, it’s anyplace from $30 to $60.”
Jack Cardetti, a spokesman for MOCann, mentioned that higher entry for customers is basically behind Missouri’s sturdy gross sales numbers, noting that the state has 196 dispensaries to serve a inhabitants of 6 million, whereas Illinois has solely 113 retailers however a inhabitants of 12 million. He additionally famous that taxation exacerbates the value distinction between the 2 states.
“Not solely are the retail costs decrease in Missouri than Illinois, however if you really issue within the greater taxes in Illinois, the take-home value is considerably decrease,” Cardetti says. “We’ve seen time and time once more, in the event you tax marijuana an excessive amount of, folks will proceed to entry the illicit market, which is strictly what legalization is supposed to forestall.”
Former NBA star Al Harrington’s firm Viola is backing two hashish dispensaries that opened in St. Louis over the weekend, making the retailers the one Black-owned retailers within the metropolis, in keeping with Daniel Pettigrew, the CEO of Viola STL. He mentioned that town has given the corporate a heat welcome and famous that the corporate’s dispensary on Iowa Avenue in St. Louis is the one hashish retailer within the metropolis with a drive-thru.
“We wish folks to have the ability to come right into a protected, safe place, get their product after which get out, in order that’s the principle factor. It would actually enable us to serve extra clients,” Pettigrew told KSDK tv information. “This neighborhood is locally, so it was necessary to them, as we met with them, that they didn’t need lots of people standing round and lingering within the space. It simply permits us to finish the transaction in a protected safe atmosphere, facilitate it, get everybody what they want and allow them to get on their manner as shortly as doable.”
Bryce Chapman, a shopper who beforehand bought marijuana from the unregulated market, mentioned that purchasing from dispensaries is less complicated than shopping for from underground sellers. He added that he appreciates the constant high quality and clear pricing at regulated dispensaries, elements he mentioned make him a repeat buyer of the brand new retailers.
“You’ll be able to simply go in, get what you want and go away,” mentioned Chapman. “You don’t have to seek out the man with the correct of stuff or something like that – you possibly can simply go get precisely what you want. I actually like how scientific it’s. Like, ‘Would you like this a lot THC or would you like a better dose? Would you like sativa dominant?’ Earlier than it was similar to, I’ll simply get what I can get.”