Medical marijuana

Missouri's marijuana regulators believe that many "designated contacts" for cannabis businesses have kept the actual eligible applicants in the dark. Now, the state is cracking down.

Medical marijuana is becoming a perennial debate in Topeka, and it’s annually unclear how likely it is for a bill to pass. The Kansas House has passed a plan before, but it's the Senate where the roadblock remains.

Years of federal prohibition and the resulting limits on research mean the science about marijuana is skimpy at best. Missouri has budgeted $2.5 million for a public information campaign about the health risks of marijuana use.

While thousands of patients cross the border with medical cards in hand, countless more are buying recreational cannabis without a prescription. That’s unlikely to change as some Kansas lawmakers signal resistance to medical legalization in 2025.

A Missouri appeals court ruled last week that the constitution’s “plain, unambiguous” language means cities and counties cannot stack marijuana sales taxes. Here's why that could mean cheaper cannabis in Kansas City.

A survey of registered voters in four states showed a disconnect between policy rhetoric from lawmakers and candidates and what their constituents believe about a range of issues. We asked experts for an explanation.

Medical marijuana remains illegal in Kansas, and groups representing Kansas police chiefs, sheriffs and peace officers want it to stay that way — claiming it will create black market activity and crime. However, a majority of Kansans support legal weed.

The drug is currently legal in Missouri for adults 21 and older. But the federal prohibition makes it difficult for businesses in the state to get access to bank loans. U.S. Senate candidate Lucas Kunce said he supports changing that.

Under the 2022 constitutional amendment that legalized marijuana, Missouri courts were required to review and expunge previous misdemeanors by last June and felonies by last December. Those deadlines came and went, and many counties are still months or more away from completing the task.

Missouri’s first legal sale of cannabis came in early February 2023. Kansas residents could immediately drive over and buy it legally, but risked arrest and prosecution if they brought their joints or gummies across the state line.

Since recreational weed was legalized in Missouri, thousands of residents say they get a greater high than from the pot they used to buy. It's spurred many consumers to ask: "Has weed gotten stronger?"

After voters legalized recreational marijuana in November 2022, dispensaries licensed to sell medical products began selling to anyone over the age of 21 in February 2023. The state also rolled out the first round of a new social equity license program, which has posed some hurdles.