Section XIV Section 1

Constitution

Effective - 08 Dec 2022, 2 histories, see footnote   

  XIV Section 1.  Right to access medical marijuana. — 1.  Purposes.

  This section is intended to permit state-licensed physicians and nurse practitioners to recommend marijuana for medical purposes to patients with serious illnesses and medical conditions.  The section allows patients with qualifying medical conditions the right to discuss freely with their physicians and nurse practitioners the possible benefits of medical marijuana use, the right of their physicians and nurse practitioners to provide professional advice concerning the same, and the right to use medical marijuana for treatment under the supervision of a physician or nurse practitioner.

  This section is intended to make only those changes to Missouri laws that are necessary to protect patients, their primary caregivers, and their physicians and nurse practitioners from civil and criminal penalties, and to allow for the limited legal production, distribution, sale and purchase of marijuana for medical use.  This section is not intended to change current civil and criminal laws governing the use of marijuana for nonmedical purposes.  The section does not allow for the public use of marijuana and driving under the influence of marijuana.

  2.  Definitions.

  (1)  "Administer" means the direct application of marijuana to a qualifying patient by way of any of the following methods:

  (a)  Ingestion of capsules, teas, oils, and other marijuana-infused products;

  (b)  Vaporization or smoking of dried flowers, buds, plant material, extracts, oils, and other marijuana-infused products;

  (c)  Application of ointments or balms;

  (d)  Transdermal patches and suppositories;

  (e)  Consuming marijuana-infused food products; or

  (f)  Any other method recommended by a qualifying patient's physician or nurse practitioner.

  (2)  "Church" means a permanent building primarily and regularly used as a place of religious worship.

  (3)  "Daycare" means a child-care facility, as defined by section 210.201, RSMo, or successor provisions, that is licensed by the state of Missouri.

  (4)  "Department" means the department of health and senior services, or its successor agency.

  (5)  "Entity" means a natural person, corporation, professional corporation, nonprofit corporation, cooperative corporation, unincorporated association, business trust, limited liability company, general or limited partnership, limited liability partnership, joint venture, or any other legal entity.

  (6)  "Flowering plant" means a marijuana plant from the time it exhibits the first signs of sexual maturity through harvest.

  (7)  "Infused preroll" means a consumable or smokable marijuana product, generally consisting of:  (1) a wrap or paper, (2) dried flower, buds, and/or plant material, and (3) a concentrate, oil or other type of marijuana extract, either within or on the surface of the product.  Infused prerolls may or may not include a filter or crutch at the base of the product.

  (8)  "Marijuana" or "marihuana" means Cannabis indica, Cannabis sativa, and Cannabis ruderalis, hybrids of such species, and any other strains commonly understood within the scientific community to constitute marijuana, as well as resin extracted from the marijuana plant and marijuana-infused products.  "Marijuana" or "marihuana" do not include industrial hemp, as defined by Missouri statute, or commodities or products manufactured from industrial hemp.

  (9)  "Marijuana-infused products" means products that are infused, dipped, coated, sprayed, or mixed with marijuana or an extract thereof, including, but not limited to, products that are able to be vaporized or smoked, edible products, ingestible products, topical products, suppositories, and infused prerolls.

  (10)  "Medical facility" means any medical marijuana cultivation facility, medical marijuana dispensary facility, or medical marijuana-infused products manufacturing facility, as defined in this section.

  (11)  "Medical marijuana cultivation facility" means a facility licensed by the department to acquire, cultivate, process, package, store on site or off site, transport to or from, and sell marijuana, marijuana seeds, and marijuana vegetative cuttings (also known as clones) to a medical marijuana dispensary facility, medical marijuana testing facility, medical marijuana cultivation facility, or to a medical marijuana-infused products manufacturing facility.  A medical marijuana cultivation facility's authority to process marijuana shall include the production and sale of prerolls, but shall not include the manufacture of marijuana-infused products.

  (12)  "Medical marijuana dispensary facility" means a facility licensed by the department to acquire, process, package, store on site or off site, sell, transport to or from, and deliver marijuana, marijuana seeds, marijuana vegetative cuttings (also known as clones), marijuana-infused products, and drug paraphernalia used to administer marijuana as provided for in this section to a qualifying patient, a primary caregiver, anywhere on the licensed property or to any address as directed by the patient or primary caregiver, so long as the address is a location allowing for the legal possession of marijuana, another medical marijuana dispensary facility, a marijuana testing facility, a medical marijuana cultivation facility, or a medical marijuana-infused products manufacturing facility.  Dispensary facilities may receive transaction orders at the dispensary in person, by phone, or via the internet, including from a third party.  A medical marijuana dispensary facility's authority to process marijuana shall include the production and sale of prerolls, but shall not include the manufacture of marijuana-infused products.

  (13)  "Medical marijuana-infused products manufacturing facility" means a facility licensed by the department to acquire, process, package, store on site or off site, manufacture, transport to or from, and sell marijuana-infused products to a medical marijuana dispensary facility, a marijuana testing facility, a medical marijuana cultivation facility, or to another medical marijuana-infused products manufacturing facility.

  (14)  "Marijuana testing facility" means a facility certified by the department to acquire, test, certify, and transport marijuana, including those originally licensed as a medical marijuana testing facility.

  (15)  "Medical use" means the production, possession, delivery, distribution, transportation, or administration of marijuana or a marijuana-infused product, or drug paraphernalia used to administer marijuana or a marijuana-infused product, for the benefit of a qualifying patient to mitigate the symptoms or effects of the patient's qualifying medical condition.

  (16)  "Nurse practitioner" means an individual who is licensed and in good standing as an advanced practice registered nurse, or successor designation, under Missouri law.

  (17)  "Owner" means an individual who has a financial (other than security interest, lien, or encumbrance) or voting interest in ten percent or greater of a marijuana facility.

  (18)  "Physician" means an individual who is licensed and in good standing to practice medicine or osteopathy under Missouri law.

  (19)  "Physician or nurse practitioner certification" means a document, whether handwritten, electronic or in another commonly used format, signed by a physician or a nurse practitioner and stating that, in the physician's or nurse practitioner's professional opinion, the patient suffers from a qualifying medical condition.

  (20)  "Preroll" means a consumable or smokable marijuana product, generally consisting of:  (1) a wrap or paper and (2) dried flower, buds, and/or plant material.  Prerolls may or may not include a filter or crutch at the base of the product.

  (21)  "Primary caregiver" means an individual twenty-one years of age or older who has significant responsibility for managing the well-being of a qualifying patient and who is designated as such on the primary caregiver's application for an identification card under this section or in other written notification to the department.

  (22)  "Qualifying medical condition" means the condition of, symptoms related to, or side-effects from the treatment of:

  (a)  Cancer;

  (b)  Epilepsy;

  (c)  Glaucoma;

  (d)  Intractable migraines unresponsive to other treatment;

  (e)  A chronic medical condition that causes severe, persistent pain or persistent muscle spasms, including but not limited to those associated with multiple sclerosis, seizures, Parkinson's disease, and Tourette's syndrome;

  (f)  Debilitating psychiatric disorders, including, but not limited to, posttraumatic stress disorder, if diagnosed by a state licensed psychiatrist;

  (g)  Human immunodeficiency virus or acquired immune deficiency syndrome;

  (h)  A chronic medical condition that is normally treated with a prescription medication that could lead to physical or psychological dependence, when a physician or nurse practitioner determines that medical use of marijuana could be effective in treating that condition and would serve as a safer alternative to the prescription medication;

  (i)  Any terminal illness; or

  (j)  In the professional judgment of a physician or nurse practitioner, any other chronic, debilitating or other medical condition, including, but not limited to, hepatitis C, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, inflammatory bowel disease, Crohn's disease, Huntington's disease, autism, neuropathies, sickle cell anemia, agitation of Alzheimer's disease, cachexia, and wasting syndrome.

  (23)  "Qualifying patient" means an individual diagnosed with at least one qualifying medical condition.

  (24)  "Unduly burdensome" (when referring to a facility licensee or certificate holder) means the measures necessary to comply with the rules or ordinances adopted pursuant to this section subject the party to such a high investment or expense of money, time, or any other resource or asset that a reasonably prudent businessperson would not operate the facility; and (when referring to qualifying patients, primary caregivers, physicians, nurse practitioners, or other party) "unduly burdensome" means the measures necessary to comply with the rules or ordinances adopted pursuant to this section undermine the purpose of this section.

  3.  Creating Patient Access to Medical Marijuana.

  (1)  In carrying out the implementation of this section, the department shall have the authority to:

  (a)  Grant or refuse state licenses and certifications for the cultivation, manufacture, dispensing, sale, testing, tracking, and transportation of marijuana and marijuana-infused products for medical use, as provided by this section and general law; suspend, impose an authorized fine, restrict, or revoke such licenses and certifications upon a violation of this section, general law, or a rule promulgated pursuant to this section; and impose any administrative penalty authorized by this section or any general law enacted or rule promulgated pursuant to this section, so long as any procedure related to a suspension or revocation includes a reasonable cure period, not less than thirty days, prior to the suspension or revocation, except in instances where there is a credible and imminent threat to public health or public safety.

  (b)  Promulgate rules and emergency rules necessary for the proper regulation and control of the cultivation, manufacture, dispensing, and sale of marijuana for medical use and for the enforcement of this section so long as patient access is not restricted unreasonably and such rules are reasonably necessary for patient safety or to restrict access to only licensees and qualifying patients.

  (c)  Develop such forms, certificates, licenses, identification cards, and applications as are necessary for, or reasonably related to, the administration of this section or any of the rules promulgated under this section.

  (d)  Require a seed-to-sale tracking system that tracks medical marijuana from either the seed or immature plant stage until the medical marijuana or medical marijuana-infused product is sold to a qualifying patient or primary caregiver to ensure that no medical marijuana grown by a medical marijuana cultivation facility or manufactured by a medical marijuana-infused products manufacturing facility is sold or otherwise transferred except by a medical marijuana dispensary facility.  The department shall certify, if possible, at least two commercially available systems to licensees as compliant with its tracking standards and issue standards for the creation or use of other systems by licensees.

  (e)  Issue standards for the secure transportation of marijuana and marijuana-infused products.  The department shall certify entities which demonstrate compliance with its transportation standards to transport marijuana and marijuana-infused products to or from a medical marijuana cultivation facility, a medical marijuana-infused products manufacturing facility, a medical marijuana dispensary facility, a marijuana testing facility, or another entity with a transportation certification.  The department shall develop or adopt from any other governmental agency such safety and security standards as are reasonably necessary for the transportation of marijuana and marijuana-infused products.  Any entity licensed or certified pursuant to this section shall be allowed to transport and store marijuana, marijuana seeds, marijuana vegetative cuttings (also known as clones) and marijuana-infused products for purposes related to transportation in compliance with department regulations on storage of marijuana and marijuana-infused products.

  (f)  The department may charge a fee not to exceed $5,000 for any certification issued pursuant to this section.

  (g)  Prepare and transmit annually a publicly available report accounting to the governor for the efficient discharge of all responsibilities assigned to the department under this section.

  (h)  Establish a lottery selection process to select medical marijuana licensee and certificate applicants, only in cases where more applicants apply than the minimum number of licenses or certificates as calculated by this section.  To be eligible for the medical marijuana license lottery process, an applicant cannot have an owner who has pleaded or been found guilty of a disqualifying felony.  A "disqualifying felony offense" is a violation of, and conviction or guilty plea to, state or federal law that is, or would have been, a felony under Missouri law, regardless of the sentence imposed, unless the department determines that:

  a.  The person's conviction was for a marijuana offense, other than provision of marijuana to a minor; or

  b.  The person's conviction was for a non-violent crime for which he or she was not incarcerated and that is more than five years old; or

  c.  More than five years have passed since the person was released from parole or probation, and he or she has not been convicted of any subsequent felony criminal offenses.

  The department may consult with and rely on the records, advice, and recommendations of the attorney general and the department of public safety, or their successor entities, in carrying out the provisions of this subdivision.

  In establishing a lottery selection process to select medical marijuana licensee and certificate applicants and awarding licenses and certificates, the department may consult or contract with other public agencies with relevant expertise.  The department shall lift or ease any limit on the number of licensees or certificate holders in order to meet the demand for marijuana for medical use by qualifying patients.

  (2)  The department shall issue any rules or emergency rules necessary for the implementation and enforcement of this section and to ensure the right to, availability, and safe use of marijuana for medical use by qualifying patients.  In developing such rules or emergency rules, the department may consult with other public agencies.  In addition to any other rules or emergency rules necessary to carry out the mandates of this section, the department may issue rules or emergency rules relating to the following subjects:

  (a)  Compliance with, enforcement of, or violation of any provision of this section or any rule issued pursuant to this section, including procedures and grounds for denying, suspending, imposing an authorized fine, and restricting, or revoking a state license or certification issued pursuant to this section, so long as any procedure related to a suspension or revocation includes a reasonable cure period, not less than thirty days, prior to the suspension or revocation, except in instances where there is a credible and imminent threat to public health or public safety;

  (b)  Specifications of duties of officers and employees of the department;

  (c)  Instructions or guidance for local authorities and law enforcement officers;

  (d)  Requirements for inspections, investigations, searches, seizures, and such additional enforcement activities as may become necessary from time to time;

  (e)  As otherwise authorized by this section or general law, administrative penalties and policies for use by the department;

  (f)  Prohibition of misrepresentation and unfair practices;

  (g)  Control of informational and product displays on licensed premises provided that the rules may not prevent or unreasonably restrict appropriate signs on the property of the medical marijuana dispensary facility, product display and examination by the qualifying patient and/or primary caregiver, listings in business directories including phone books, listings in marijuana-related or medical publications, or the sponsorship of health or not for profit charity or advocacy events.  While the department shall have the general power to regulate the advertising and promotion of marijuana sales, under all circumstances, any such regulation shall be no more stringent than comparable state regulations on the advertising and promotion of alcohol sales;

  (h)  Development of individual identification cards for owners, officers, managers, contractors, employees, and other support staff of entities licensed or certified pursuant to this section, including a fingerprint-based federal and state criminal record check in accordance with U.S. Public Law 92-544, or its successor provisions, as may be required by the department prior to issuing a card and procedures to ensure that cards for new applicants are issued within fourteen days.  Applicants licensed pursuant to this section shall submit fingerprints to the Missouri state highway patrol for the purpose of conducting a state and federal fingerprint-based criminal background check.  The Missouri state highway patrol, if necessary, shall forward the fingerprints to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for the purpose of conducting a fingerprint-based criminal background check.  Fingerprints shall be submitted pursuant to section 43.543, RSMo, or its successor provisions, and fees shall be paid pursuant to section 43.530, RSMo, or its successor provisions.  Unless otherwise required by law, no individual shall be required to submit fingerprints more than once;

  (i)  Security requirements for any premises licensed or certified pursuant to this section, including, at a minimum, lighting, physical security, video, alarm requirements, and other minimum procedures for internal control as deemed necessary by the department to properly administer and enforce the provisions of this section, including reporting requirements for changes, alterations, or modifications to the premises;

  (j)  Regulation of the storage of, warehouses for, and transportation of marijuana for medical use;

  (k)  Sanitary requirements for, including, but not limited to, the preparation of medical marijuana-infused products;

  (l)  The specification of acceptable forms of picture identification that a medical marijuana dispensary facility may accept when verifying a sale;

  (m)  Labeling and packaging standards;

  (n)  Records to be kept by licensees and the required availability of the records;

  (o)  State licensing procedures, including procedures for renewals, reinstatements, initial licenses, and the payment of licensing fees;

  (p)  The reporting and transmittal of tax payments;

  (q)  Authorization for the department of revenue to have access to licensing information to ensure tax payment and the effective administration of this section; and

  (r)  Such other matters as are necessary for the fair, impartial, stringent, and comprehensive administration of this section.

  (3)  The department shall issue rules or emergency rules for a medical marijuana and medical marijuana-infused products independent testing and certification program for medical marijuana licensees and requiring licensees to test medical marijuana using one or more impartial, independent laboratories to ensure, at a minimum, that products sold for human consumption do not contain contaminants that are injurious to health, to ensure correct labeling and measure potency.  The department shall not require any medical marijuana or medical marijuana-infused products to be tested more than once prior to sale.

  (4)  The department shall issue rules or emergency rules to provide for the certification of and standards for marijuana testing facilities, including the requirements for equipment and qualifications for personnel, but shall not require certificate holders to have any federal agency licensing or have any relationship with a federally licensed testing facility.  The department shall certify, if possible, at least two entities as marijuana testing facilities.  No marijuana testing facility shall be owned by an entity or entities under substantially common control, ownership, or management as a medical marijuana cultivation facility, medical marijuana-infused product manufacturing facility, or medical marijuana dispensary facility.

  (5)  Any information released by the department related to patients may only be for a purpose authorized by federal law and this section, including verifying that a person who presented a patient identification card to a state or local law enforcement official is lawfully in possession of such card.  Beginning December 8, 2022, all public records produced or retained pursuant to this section are subject to the general provisions of the Missouri Sunshine Law, chapter 610, RSMo, or its successor provisions.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, records containing proprietary business information obtained from an applicant or licensee shall be closed.  For documents submitted on or after December 8, 2022, the applicant or licensee shall label business information it believes to be proprietary prior to submitting it to the department.  For documents submitted prior to December 8, 2022, the applicant or licensee may advise the department, through a department approved process, of any records previously submitted by the applicant or licensee it believes contain proprietary business information.  Proprietary business information shall include sales information, financial records, tax returns, credit reports, license applications, cultivation information unrelated to product safety, testing results unrelated to product safety, site security information and plans, and individualized consumer information.  The presence of proprietary business information shall not justify the closure of public records:

  (a)  Identifying the applicant or licensee;

  (b)  Relating to any citation, notice of violation, tax delinquency, or other enforcement action;

  (c)  Relating to any public official's support or opposition relative to any applicant, licensee, or their proposed or actual operations;

  (d)  Where disclosure is reasonably necessary for the protection of public health or safety; or

  (e)  That are otherwise subject to public inspection under other applicable law.

  (6)  Within one hundred eighty days of December 6, 2018, the department shall make available to the public license application forms and application instructions for medical marijuana cultivation facilities, marijuana testing facilities, medical marijuana dispensary facilities, and medical marijuana-infused products manufacturing facilities.

  (7)  Within one hundred eighty days of December 6, 2018, the department shall make available to the public application forms and application instructions for qualifying patient, qualifying patient cultivation, and primary caregiver identification cards.  Within two hundred ten days of December 6, 2018, the department shall begin accepting applications for such identification cards.

  (8)  An entity may apply to the department for and obtain one or more licenses to grow marijuana as a medical marijuana cultivation facility.  Each facility in operation shall require a separate license, but multiple licenses may be utilized in a single facility.  Each indoor facility utilizing artificial lighting may be limited by the department to thirty thousand square feet of flowering plant canopy space.  Each outdoor facility utilizing natural lighting may be limited by the department to two thousand eight hundred flowering plants.  Each greenhouse facility using a combination of natural and artificial lighting may be limited by the department, at the election of the licensee, to two thousand eight hundred flowering plants or thirty thousand square feet of flowering plant canopy.  The license shall be valid for three years from its date of issuance and shall be renewable, except for good cause.  The department shall charge each applicant a nonrefundable fee of ten thousand dollars per license application or renewal for all applicants filing an application within three years of December 6, 2018, and shall charge each applicant a nonrefundable fee of five thousand dollars per license application or renewal thereafter.  Once granted, the department shall charge each licensee an annual fee of twenty-five thousand dollars per facility license.  Application and license fees shall be increased or decreased each year by the percentage of increase or decrease from the end of the previous calendar year of the Consumer Price Index, or successor index as published by the U.S. Department of Labor, or its successor agency.  An entity or entities under substantially common control, ownership, or management may not be an owner of more than ten percent of the total marijuana cultivation facility licenses outstanding under both sections 1 and 2 of this Article at any given time, rounded down to the nearest whole number.

  (9)  An entity may apply to the department for and obtain one or more licenses to operate a medical marijuana dispensary facility.  Each facility in operation shall require a separate license.  A license shall be valid for three years from its date of issuance and shall be renewable, except for good cause.  The department shall charge each applicant a nonrefundable fee of six thousand dollars per license application or renewal for each applicant filing an application within three years of December 6, 2018, and shall charge each applicant a nonrefundable fee of three thousand dollars per license application or renewal thereafter.  Once granted, the department shall charge each licensee an annual fee of ten thousand dollars per facility license.  Application and license fees shall be increased or decreased each year by the percentage of increase or decrease from the end of the previous calendar year of the Consumer Price Index, or successor index as published by the U.S. Department of Labor, or its successor agency.  An entity or entities under substantially common control, ownership, or management may not be an owner of more than ten percent of the total marijuana dispensary facility licenses outstanding under both sections 1 and 2 of this Article at any given time, rounded down to the nearest whole number.

  (10)  An entity may apply to the department for and obtain one or more licenses to operate a medical marijuana-infused products manufacturing facility.  Each facility in operation shall require a separate license.  A license shall be valid for three years from its date of issuance and shall be renewable, except for good cause.  The department shall charge each applicant a nonrefundable fee of six thousand dollars per license application or renewal for each applicant filing an application within three years of December 6, 2018, and shall charge each applicant a nonrefundable fee of three thousand dollars per license application or renewal thereafter.  Once granted, the department shall charge each licensee an annual fee of ten thousand dollars per facility license.  Application and license fees shall be increased or decreased each year by the percentage of increase or decrease from the end of the previous calendar year of the Consumer Price Index, or successor index as published by the U.S. Department of Labor, or its successor agency.  An entity or entities under substantially common control, ownership, or management may not be an owner of more than ten percent of the total marijuana-infused products manufacturing facility licenses outstanding under both sections 1 and 2 of this Article at any given time, rounded down to the nearest whole number.

  (11)  Any applicant for a license authorized by this section may prefile their application fee with the department beginning 30 days after December 6, 2018.

  (12)  Except for good cause, a qualifying patient or his or her primary caregiver may obtain an identification card from the department to cultivate up to six flowering marijuana plants, six nonflowering marijuana plants (over fourteen inches tall), and six clones (plants under fourteen inches tall) for the exclusive use of that qualifying patient.  The card shall be valid for three years from its date of issuance and shall be renewable with the submittal of a new or updated physician or nurse practitioner certification.  The department shall charge a fee for the card of fifty dollars, with such rate to be increased or decreased each year by the percentage of increase or decrease from the end of the previous calendar year of the Consumer Price Index, or successor index as published by the U.S. Department of Labor, or its successor agency.

  (13)  The department may set a limit on the amount of marijuana that may be purchased by or on behalf of a single qualifying patient in a thirty-day period, provided that limit is not less than six ounces of dried, unprocessed marijuana, or its equivalent.  Any such limit shall not apply to a qualifying patient with written certification from a physician or nurse practitioner that there are compelling reasons why the qualifying patient needs a greater amount than the limit established by the department.

  (14)  The department may set a limit on the amount of marijuana that may be possessed by or on behalf of each qualifying patient, provided that limit is not less than a sixty-day supply of dried, unprocessed marijuana, or its equivalent.  A primary caregiver may possess a separate legal limit for each qualifying patient under their care and a separate legal limit for themselves if they are a qualifying patient.  Qualifying patients cultivating marijuana for medical use may possess up to a ninety-day supply, so long as the supply remains on property under their control.  Any such limit shall not apply to a qualifying patient with written certification from an independent physician or nurse practitioner that there are compelling reasons for additional amounts.  Possession of between the legal limit and up to twice the legal limit shall subject the possessor to department sanctions, including an administrative penalty of up to two hundred dollars and loss of their patient identification card for up to a year.  Purposefully possessing amounts in excess of twice the legal limit shall be punishable as an infraction under applicable law.

  (15)  The department may restrict the aggregate number of licenses granted for medical marijuana cultivation facilities and comprehensive marijuana cultivation facilities authorized by section 2 combined, provided, however, that the number may not be limited to fewer than one license per every one hundred thousand inhabitants, or any portion thereof, of the state of Missouri, according to the most recent census of the United States.  A decrease in the number of inhabitants in the state of Missouri shall have no impact.

  (16)  The department may restrict the aggregate number of licenses granted for medical marijuana-infused products manufacturing facilities and comprehensive marijuana-infused products manufacturing facilities authorized by section 2 combined, provided, however, that the number may not be limited to fewer than one license per every seventy thousand inhabitants, or any portion thereof, of the state of Missouri, according to the most recent census of the United States.  A decrease in the number of inhabitants in the state of Missouri shall have no impact.

  (17)  The department may restrict the aggregate number of licenses granted for medical marijuana dispensary facilities and comprehensive marijuana dispensary facilities authorized by section 2 combined, provided, however, that the number may not be limited to fewer than twenty-four licenses in each United States congressional district in the state of Missouri pursuant to the map of each of the eight congressional districts as drawn and effective on December 6, 2018.  Future changes to the boundaries of or the number of congressional districts shall have no impact.

  (18)  The department shall begin accepting license and certification applications for medical marijuana dispensary facilities, marijuana testing facilities, medical marijuana cultivation facilities, medical marijuana-infused products manufacturing facilities, seed-to-sale tracking systems, and for transportation of marijuana no later than two hundred forty days after December 6, 2018.  Applications for licenses and certifications under this section shall be approved or denied by the department no later than one hundred fifty days after their submission.  If the department fails to carry out its nondiscretionary duty to approve or deny an application within one hundred fifty days of submission, an applicant may immediately seek a court order compelling the department to approve or deny the application.

  (19)  Qualifying patients under this section shall obtain an identification card or cards from the department.  The department shall charge a fee of twenty-five dollars per card.  Such fee may be increased or decreased each year by the percentage of increase or decrease from the end of the previous calendar year of the Consumer Price Index, or successor index as published by the U.S. Department of Labor or its successor agency.  Cards shall be valid for three years and may be renewed with a new physician or nurse practitioner certification.  Upon receiving an application for a qualifying patient identification card or qualifying patient cultivation identification card, the department shall, within thirty days, either issue the card or provide a written explanation for its denial.  If the department fails to deny and fails to issue a card to an eligible qualifying patient within thirty days, then their physician or nurse practitioner certification shall serve as their qualifying patient identification card or qualifying patient cultivation identification card for up to one year from the date of physician or nurse practitioner certification.  All initial applications for or renewals of a qualifying patient identification card or qualifying patient cultivation identification card shall be accompanied by a physician or nurse practitioner certification that is less than thirty days old.

  (20)  Primary caregivers under this section shall obtain an identification card from the department.  Cards shall be valid for three years.  The department shall charge a fee of twenty-five dollars per card.  Such fee may be increased or decreased each year by the percentage of increase or decrease from the end of the previous calendar year of the Consumer Price Index, or successor index as published by the U.S. Department of Labor, or its successor agency.  Upon receiving an application for a primary caregiver identification card, the department shall, within thirty days, either issue the card or provide a written explanation for its denial.

  (21)  Except as otherwise provided in this Article, all marijuana for medical use sold in Missouri shall be cultivated in a licensed medical marijuana cultivation facility located in Missouri.

  (22)  Except as otherwise provided in this Article, all marijuana-infused products for medical use sold in the state of Missouri shall be manufactured in a medical marijuana-infused products manufacturing facility.

  (23)  The denial of a license, license renewal, or identification card by the department shall be appealable to the administrative hearing commission, or its successor entity.  Following the exhaustion of administrative review, denial of a license, license renewal, or identification card by the department shall be subject to judicial review as provided by law.

  (24)  No elected official shall interfere directly or indirectly with the department's obligations and activities under this section.

  (25)  The department shall not have the authority to apply or enforce any unduly burdensome rule or regulation or administrative penalty upon any one or more licensees or certificate holders, any qualifying patients, or their primary caregivers, or act to undermine the purposes of this section.

  4.  Taxation and Reporting.

  (1)  A tax is levied upon the retail sale of marijuana for medical use sold at medical marijuana dispensary facilities within the state.  The tax shall be at a rate of four percent of the retail price.  The tax shall be collected by each licensed medical marijuana dispensary facility and paid to the department of revenue.  After retaining no more than two percent for its actual collection costs, amounts generated by the medical marijuana tangible personal property retail sales tax levied in this section shall be deposited by the department of revenue into the Missouri veterans' health and care fund.  Licensed entities making retail sales within the state shall be allowed approved credit for returns provided the tax was paid on the returned item and the purchaser was given the refund or credit.

  (2)  There is hereby created in the state treasury the "Missouri Veterans' Health and Care Fund", which shall consist of taxes and fees collected under this section.  The state treasurer shall be custodian of the fund, and he or she shall invest monies in the fund in the same manner as other funds are invested.  Any interest and monies earned on such investments shall be credited to the fund.  Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any monies remaining in the fund at the end of a biennium shall not revert to the credit of the general revenue fund.  The commissioner of administration is authorized to make cash operating transfers to the fund for purposes of meeting the cash requirements of the department in advance of it receiving annual application, licensing, and tax revenue, with any such transfers to be repaid as provided by law.  The fund shall be a dedicated fund and shall stand appropriated without further legislative action as follows:

  (a)  First, to the department, an amount necessary for the department to carry out this section, including repayment of any cash operating transfers, payments made through contract or agreement with other state and public agencies necessary to carry out this section, and a reserve fund to maintain a reasonable working cash balance for the purpose of carrying out this section;

  (b)  Next, the remainder of such funds shall be transferred to the Missouri veterans commission for health and care services for military veterans, including the following purposes: operations, maintenance and capital improvements of the Missouri veterans homes, the Missouri service officer's program, and other services for veterans approved by the commission, including, but not limited to, health care services, mental health services, drug rehabilitation services, housing assistance, job training, tuition assistance, and housing assistance to prevent homelessness.  The Missouri veterans commission shall contract with other public agencies for the delivery of services beyond its expertise.

  (c)  All monies from the taxes authorized under this subsection shall provide additional dedicated funding for the purposes enumerated above and shall not replace existing dedicated funding.

  (3)  For all retail sales of marijuana for medical use, a record shall be kept by the seller which identifies, by secure and encrypted patient number issued by the seller to the qualifying patient involved in the sale, all amounts and types of marijuana involved in the sale and the total amount of money involved in the sale, including itemizations, taxes collected and grand total sale amounts.  All such records shall be kept on the premises in a readily available format and be made available for review by the department and the department of revenue upon request.  Such records shall be retained for five years from the date of the sale.

  (4)  The tax levied pursuant to this subsection is separate from, and in addition to, any general state and local sales and use taxes that apply to retail sales, which shall continue to be collected and distributed as provided by general law.

  (5)  Except as authorized in this subsection, no additional taxes shall be imposed on the sale of marijuana for medical use.

  (6)  The fees and taxes provided for in this Article XIV, Section 1 shall be fully enforceable notwithstanding any other provision in this Constitution purportedly prohibiting or restricting the taxes and fees provided for herein.

  (7)  The unexpended balance existing in the fund shall be exempt from the provisions of section 33.080, RSMo, or its successor provisions, relating to the transfer of unexpended balances to the general revenue fund.

  (8)  For taxpayers authorized to do business pursuant to this Article, the amount that would have been deducted in the computation of federal taxable income pursuant to 26 U.S.C. Section 280E of the Internal Revenue Code as in effect on January 1, 2021, or successor provisions, but is disallowed because cannabis is a controlled substance under federal law, shall be subtracted from the taxpayer's federal adjusted gross income, in determining the taxpayer's Missouri adjusted gross income.

  5.  Additional Patient, Physician, Nurse Practitioner, Caregiver and Provider Protections.

  (1)  Except as provided in this section, the possession of marijuana in quantities less than the limits of this section, or established by the department, and transportation of marijuana by the qualifying patient or primary caregiver shall not subject the possessor to arrest, criminal or civil liability, or sanctions under Missouri law, provided that the possessor produces on demand to the appropriate authority a valid qualifying patient identification card; a valid qualifying patient cultivation identification card; a valid physician or nurse practitioner certification while making application for an identification card; or a valid primary caregiver identification card.  Production of the respective substantially equivalent identification card or authorization issued by another state or political subdivision of another state shall also meet the requirements of this subdivision and shall allow for the purchase of medical marijuana for use by a non-resident patient from a medical marijuana dispensary facility as permitted by this section and in compliance with department regulations.

  (2)  No patient shall be denied access to or priority for an organ transplant or other medical care because they hold a qualifying patient identification card or use marijuana for medical use.

  (3)  A physician or nurse practitioner shall not be subject to criminal or civil liability or sanctions under Missouri law or discipline by the Missouri state board of registration for the healing arts, the Missouri state board of nursing, or their respective successor agencies, for owning, operating, investing in, being employed by, or contracting with any entity licensed or certified pursuant to this section or issuing a physician or nurse practitioner certification to a patient diagnosed with a qualifying medical condition in a manner consistent with this section and legal standards of professional conduct.

  (4)  A health care provider shall not be subject to civil or criminal prosecution under Missouri law, denial of any right or privilege, civil or administrative penalty or sanction, or disciplinary action by any accreditation or licensing board or commission for owning, operating, investing in, being employed by, or contracting with any entity licensed or certified pursuant to this section or providing health care services that involve the medical use of marijuana consistent with this section and legal standards of professional conduct.

  (5)  A marijuana testing facility shall not be subject to civil or criminal prosecution under Missouri law, denial of any right or privilege, civil or administrative penalty or sanction, or disciplinary action by any accreditation or licensing board or commission for providing laboratory testing services that relate to the medical use of marijuana consistent with this section and otherwise meeting legal standards of professional conduct.

  (6)  A health care provider shall not be subject to mandatory reporting requirements for the medical use of marijuana by nonemancipated qualifying patients under eighteen years of age in a manner consistent with this section and with consent of a parent or guardian.

  (7)  A primary caregiver shall not be subject to criminal or civil liability or sanctions under Missouri law for purchasing, transporting, or administering marijuana for medical use to a qualifying patient or participating in the patient cultivation of up to six flowering marijuana plants, six nonflowering marijuana plants (over fourteen inches tall), and six clones (plants under fourteen inches tall) per patient and no more than twenty-four flowering plants for more than one qualifying patient in a manner consistent with this section and generally established legal standards of personal or professional conduct.

  (8)  Notwithstanding any provision of Article V to the contrary, an attorney shall not be subject to disciplinary action by the Supreme Court of Missouri, the office of chief disciplinary counsel, the state bar association, any state agency, or any professional licensing body for any of the following:

  (a)  Owning, operating, investing in, being employed by, or contracting with prospective or licensed marijuana testing facilities, medical marijuana cultivation facilities, medical marijuana dispensary facilities, medical marijuana-infused products manufacturing facilities, or transportation certificate holders;

  (b)  Counseling, advising, and/or assisting a client in conduct permitted by Missouri law that may violate or conflict with federal or other law, as long as the attorney advises the client about that federal or other law and its potential consequences;

  (c)  Counseling, advising, and/or assisting a client in connection with applying for, owning, operating, or otherwise having any legal, equitable, or beneficial interest in marijuana testing facilities, medical marijuana cultivation facilities, medical marijuana dispensary facilities, medical marijuana-infused products manufacturing facilities, or transportation certificates; or

  (d)  Counseling, advising or assisting a qualifying patient, primary caregiver, physician, nurse practitioner, health care provider or other client related to activity that is no longer subject to criminal penalties under Missouri law pursuant to this Article.

  (9)  Actions and conduct by qualifying patients, primary caregivers, marijuana testing facilities, medical marijuana cultivation facilities, medical marijuana-infused products manufacturing facilities, or medical marijuana dispensary facilities licensed or registered with the department, or their employees or agents, as permitted by this section and in compliance with department regulations and other standards of legal conduct, shall not be subject to criminal or civil liability or sanctions under Missouri law, except as provided for by this section.

  (10)  Nothing in this section shall provide immunity for negligence, either common law or statutorily created, nor criminal immunities for operating a vehicle, aircraft, dangerous device, or navigating a boat under the influence of marijuana.

  (11)  It is the public policy of the state of Missouri that contracts related to marijuana for medical use that are entered into by qualifying patients, primary caregivers, marijuana testing facilities, medical marijuana cultivation facilities, medical marijuana-infused products manufacturing facilities, or medical marijuana dispensary facilities and those who allow property to be used by those entities, should be enforceable.  It is the public policy of the state of Missouri that no contract entered into by qualifying patients, primary caregivers, marijuana testing facilities, medical marijuana cultivation facilities, medical marijuana-infused products manufacturing facilities, or medical marijuana dispensary facilities, or by a person who allows property to be used for activities that are exempt from state criminal penalties by this section, shall be unenforceable on the basis that activities related to medical marijuana may be prohibited by federal law.

  (12)  In the process of requesting a search or arrest warrant relating to the production, possession, transportation or storage of marijuana, a state or local law enforcement official shall verify with the department whether the targeted person is a qualifying patient or primary caregiver holding an identification card allowing for cultivation of marijuana plants under subdivision (12) of subsection 3 of this section, and shall inform the issuing authority accordingly when making the warrant request.  Evidence of marijuana alone, without specific evidence indicating that the marijuana is outside of what is lawful for medical or adult use, cannot be the basis for a search of a patient or non-patient, including their home, vehicle or other property.  Lawful marijuana related activities cannot be the basis for a violation of parole, probation, or any type of supervised release.  State and local law enforcement shall only have access to such department information as is necessary to confirm whether the targeted person holds registration card.

  (13)  Registered qualifying patients on bond for pre-trial release, on probation, or other form of supervised release shall not be prohibited from legally using a lawful marijuana product as a term or condition of release, probation, or parole.  An alternative sentencing drug court program may not prohibit individuals under its jurisdiction from using a lawful marijuana product as long as the individual is a registered qualifying patient.

  (14)  A family court participant or party who requires treatment for a qualified medical condition in accordance with this section shall not be required to refrain from using medical marijuana as a term or condition of successful completion of the family court program.  The status and conduct of a qualified patient who acts in accordance with this section shall not, by itself, be used to restrict or abridge custodial or parental rights to minor children in any action or proceeding under the jurisdiction of a family court under chapter 487, RSMo, including domestic matters under chapter 452, RSMo, or a juvenile court under chapter 211, RSMo, or successor provisions.

  (15)  A person shall not be denied adoption, custody, or visitation rights relative to a minor solely for conduct that is permitted by this section.

  (16)  No person shall be denied their rights under Article 1, Section 23 of the Missouri Constitution, or successor provisions, solely for conduct that is permitted by this section.

  6.  Legislation.

  Nothing in this section shall limit the general assembly from enacting laws consistent with this section, or otherwise effectuating the patient rights of this section.  The legislature shall not enact laws that hinder the right of qualifying patients to access marijuana for medical use as granted by this section.

  7.  Additional Provisions.

  (1)  Nothing in this section permits a person to:

  (a)  Consume marijuana for medical use in a jail or correctional facility;

  (b)  Undertake any task under the influence of marijuana when doing so would constitute negligence or professional malpractice; or

  (c)  Operate, navigate, or be in actual physical control of any dangerous device or motor vehicle, aircraft or motorboat while under the influence of marijuana.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, an arrest or a conviction of a person who has a valid qualifying patient identification card for any applicable offenses shall require evidence that the person was in fact under the influence of marijuana at the time the person was in actual physical control of the dangerous device or motor vehicle, aircraft or motorboat and not solely on the presence of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) or THC metabolites, or a combination thereof, in the person's system; or

  (d)  Bring a claim against any employer, former employer, or prospective employer for wrongful discharge, discrimination, or any similar cause of action or remedy, based on the employer, former employer, or prospective employer prohibiting the employee, former employee, or prospective employee from being under the influence of marijuana while at work or disciplining the employee or former employee, up to and including termination from employment, for working or attempting to work while under the influence of marijuana.

  (2)  No medical marijuana cultivation facility, marijuana testing facility, medical marijuana dispensary facility, or medical marijuana-infused products manufacturing facility, or entity with a transportation certification shall be owned, in whole or in part, or have as an officer, director, board member, manager, or employee, any individual with a disqualifying felony offense.  A "disqualifying felony offense" is a violation of, and conviction or guilty plea to, state or federal law that is, or would have been, a felony under Missouri law, regardless of the sentence imposed, unless the department determines that:

  (a)  The person's conviction was for the medical use of marijuana or assisting in the medical use of marijuana; or

  (b)  The person's conviction was for a nonviolent crime for which he or she was not incarcerated and that is more than five years old; or

  (c)  More than five years have passed since the person was released from parole or probation, and he or she has not been convicted of any subsequent criminal offenses.

  The department may consult with and rely on the records, advice and recommendations of the attorney general and the department of public safety, or their successor entities, in applying this subdivision.

  (3)  No medical marijuana cultivation facility, medical marijuana dispensary facility, or medical marijuana-infused products manufacturing facility shall manufacture, package or label marijuana or marijuana-infused products in a false or misleading manner.  No person shall sell any product in a manner designed to cause confusion between a marijuana or marijuana-infused product and any product not containing marijuana.  A violation of this subdivision shall be punishable by an appropriate and proportional department sanction, up to and including an administrative penalty of five thousand dollars and loss of license.

  (4)  All edible marijuana-infused products shall be sold in individual, child-resistant containers that are labeled with dosage amounts, instructions for use, and estimated length of effectiveness.  All marijuana and marijuana-infused products shall be sold in containers clearly and conspicuously labeled as mandated by the department as containing "Marijuana", or a "Marijuana-Infused Product".  Violation of this prohibition shall subject the violator to department sanctions, including an administrative penalty of five thousand dollars.

  (5)  No individual shall serve as the primary caregiver for more than six qualifying patients.  No primary caregiver cultivating marijuana for more than one qualifying patient may exceed a total of twenty-four flowering plants.

  (6)  A person who smokes medical marijuana in a public place, other than in an area licensed for such activity by the department or by local authorities having jurisdiction over the licensing or permitting of said activity, is subject to a civil penalty not exceeding one hundred dollars.

  (7)  No person shall extract resins from marijuana using dangerous materials or combustible gases without a medical marijuana-infused products manufacturing facility license.  Violation of this prohibition shall subject the violator to department sanctions, including an administrative penalty of one thousand dollars for a patient or primary caregiver and ten thousand dollars for a facility licensee and, if applicable, loss of their identification card, certificate, or license for up to one year.

  (8)  All qualifying patient cultivation shall take place in an enclosed, locked facility that is equipped with security devices that permit access only by the qualifying patient or by such patient's primary caregiver.  Two qualifying patients, who both hold valid qualifying patient cultivation identification cards, may share one enclosed, locked facility.  Primary caregivers cultivating marijuana for more than one qualifying patient may cultivate each respective qualifying patient's flowering plants in a single, enclosed locked facility subject to the limits of subsection 3, paragraph 12.

  (9)  No medical marijuana cultivation facility, medical marijuana dispensary facility, medical marijuana-infused products manufacturing facility, marijuana testing facility, or entity with a transportation certification shall assign, sell, give, lease, sublicense, or otherwise transfer its license or certificate to any other entity without the express consent of the department, not to be unreasonably withheld.

  (10)  (a)  Unless allowed by the local government, no new medical marijuana cultivation facility, marijuana testing facility, medical marijuana dispensary facility, or medical marijuana-infused products manufacturing facility shall be initially sited within one thousand feet of any then-existing elementary or secondary school, child day-care center, or church.  In the case of a freestanding facility, the distance between the facility and the school, daycare, or church shall be measured from the external wall of the facility structure closest in proximity to the school, daycare, or church to the closest point of the property line of the school, daycare, or church.  If the school, daycare, or church is part of a larger structure, such as an office building or strip mall, the distance shall be measured to the entrance or exit of the school, daycare, or church closest in proximity to the facility.  In the case of a facility that is part of a larger structure, such as an office building or strip mall, the distance between the facility and the school, daycare, or church shall be measured from the property line of the school, daycare, or church to the facility's entrance or exit closest in proximity to the school, daycare, or church.  If the school, daycare, or church is part of a larger structure, such as an office building or strip mall, the distance shall be measured to the entrance or exit of the school, daycare, or church closest in proximity to the facility.  Measurements shall be made along the shortest path between the demarcation points that can be lawfully traveled by foot.  No local government shall prohibit medical marijuana cultivation facilities, marijuana testing facilities, medical marijuana-infused products manufacturing facilities, or medical marijuana dispensary facilities, or entities with a transportation certification either expressly or through the enactment of ordinances or regulations that make their operation unduly burdensome in the jurisdiction.  However, local governments may enact ordinances or regulations not in conflict with this section, or with regulations enacted pursuant to this section, governing the time, place, and manner of operation of such facilities in the locality.  A local government may establish civil penalties for violation of an ordinance or regulations governing the time, place, and manner of operation of a medical marijuana cultivation facility, marijuana testing facility, medical marijuana-infused products manufacturing facility, medical marijuana dispensary facility, or entity holding a transportation certification that may operate in such locality.

  (b)  The only local government ordinances or regulations that are binding on a medical facility are those of the local government where the medical facility is physically located.

  (11)  Unless superseded by federal law or an amendment to this Constitution, a physician or nurse practitioner shall not certify a qualifying condition for a patient by any means other than providing a physician or nurse practitioner certification for the patient, whether handwritten, electronic, or in another commonly used format.

  (12)  A physician or nurse practitioner shall not issue a certification for the medical use of marijuana for a nonemancipated qualifying patient under the age of eighteen without the written consent of the qualifying patient's parent or legal guardian.  The department shall not issue a qualifying patient identification card on behalf of a nonemancipated qualifying patient under the age of eighteen without the written consent of the qualifying patient's parent or legal guardian.  Such card shall be issued to one of the parents or guardians and not directly to the patient.  Only a parent or guardian may serve as a primary caregiver for a nonemancipated qualifying patient under the age of eighteen.  Only the qualifying patient's parent or guardian shall purchase or possess medical marijuana for a nonemancipated qualifying patient under the age of eighteen.  A parent or guardian shall supervise the administration of medical marijuana to a nonemancipated qualifying patient under the age of eighteen.

  (13)  Nothing in this section shall be construed as mandating health insurance coverage of medical marijuana for qualifying patient use.

  (14)  Real and personal property used in the cultivation, manufacture, transport, testing, distribution, sale, and administration of marijuana for medical use or for activities otherwise in compliance with this section shall not be subject to asset forfeiture solely because of that use.

  (15)  Unless a failure to do so would cause an employer to lose a monetary or licensing-related benefit under federal law, an employer may not discriminate against a person in hiring, termination or any term or condition of employment or otherwise penalize a person, if the discrimination is based upon either of the following:

  (a)  The person's status as a qualifying patient or primary caregiver who has a valid identification card, including the person's legal use of a lawful marijuana product off the employer's premises during nonworking hours, unless the person was under the influence of medical marijuana on the premises of the place of employment or during the hours of employment; or

  (b)  A positive drug test for marijuana components or metabolites of a person who has a valid qualifying patient identification card, unless the person used, possessed, or was under the influence of medical marijuana on the premises of the place of employment or during the hours of employment.

  Nothing in this subdivision shall apply to an employee in a position in which legal use of a lawful marijuana product affects in any manner a person's ability to perform job-related employment responsibilities or the safety of others, or conflicts with a bona fide occupational qualification that is reasonably related to the person's employment.

  (16)  The enactment of section 2 of this Article and concurrent amendments to section 1 of this Article shall have no effect upon any valid contract, claim, or cause of action instituted prior to the effective date of this section.

  8.  Federal Legalization.

  If federal law, rules, or regulations are amended to allow the interstate commerce of marijuana or marijuana-infused products or the importation or exportation of marijuana or marijuana-infused products into or out of the state of Missouri, the provisions and intent of this section shall, to the extent possible, remain in full effect, unless explicitly preempted by such federal law, rule, or regulation.  If federal law, rules, or regulations are amended as provided above, any marijuana or marijuana-infused products imported into this state shall be subject to the same testing standards and seed to sale tracking system required under this section for marijuana and marijuana-infused products produced within the state.  Unless federal law, rules, or regulations explicitly require otherwise, no entity shall sell, transport, produce, distribute, deliver, or cultivate marijuana or marijuana-infused products without an applicable license or certificate as required under this section.  In addition, any raw biomass of marijuana or marijuana flower imported from out-of-state shall be received only by a licensed cultivation facility, while all batch oil, infused marijuana products and any marijuana product in any other form shall be received only by a licensed manufacturing facility.

  9.  Severability.

  The provisions of this section are severable, and if any clause, sentence, paragraph or section of this measure, or an application thereof, is adjudged invalid by any court of competent jurisdiction, the other provisions shall continue to be in effect to the fullest extent possible.

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(Adopted November 6, 2018) (Amended November 8, 2022)