Medical marijuana

When the 2024 Kansas Legislative session returns to Topeka next month, they are expected to once again debate cannabis. Republican Senate President Ty Masterson says he's against full legalization — even though a large majority of Kansans say they want it.

A new survey finds more than two-thirds of Kansans support legalizing recreational marijuana, but Republicans in the Kansas Senate keep blocking legislation to allow cannabis for even medical uses

Students at Missouri’s Truman State University can now earn a four-year bachelor’s degree in cannabis — and Truman isn’t the only academic institution teaching about weed.

Amendment 3 legalized recreational marijuana in Missouri. It also required all nonviolent marijuana-related misdemeanors and felonies to be expunged by June 8 and December 8, respectively. But the state doesn’t know how many cases are left, and experts say the courts aren't equipped to handle those that remain before June or December.

The laws require profits from the sale of marijuana first go to pay for operational costs — salaries and professional attorney services. After that, revenues will go to veterans, public defenders and drug treatment.

Between recreational and medical marijuana, Missouri hit $350 million in sales in the first three months since the state began allowing dispensaries to sale legal weed. Yet cannabis business owners say those numbers could be even higher since cultivators and manufacturers aren’t working at max capacity.

A Kansas Senate committee has tabled debate on a bill that would implement a medical marijuana program in 2025. That means the legislation is unlikely to advance before state lawmakers finish their work in early April, leaving advocates and patients upset.

Missouri’s recent legalization of recreational, adult-use marijuana has opened new opportunities for more people to buy from dispensaries. Experts say the state’s relatively low prices and taxes have created a “canna-tourism” industry.

Missouri began approving licenses for dispensaries to sell recreational marijuana a few days earlier than expected. But despite the late notice, customers were lining up first thing Friday morning.

Kansas has more than $2 billion in budget surplus. The Republican-controlled Legislature and Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly may use the 2023 session to spar over how that money can be used through tax cuts and government spending, among other political issues.

The state of Missouri will allow cities to tack on an additional sales tax to recreational weed. Many local governments appear ready to put the question to voters, and enjoy a new source of revenue.

Medical marijuana is known to treat patients with ailing conditions like PTSD, anxiety, and chronic pain. Kansas City budtender Dani Kobularcik shares how her diagnosis opened doors for a new career.