Current through Register Vol. 49, No. 18, September 16, 2024
PURPOSE: This rule explains how medical and marijuana
facility licensing and certification applications, with the exception of
seed-to-sale tracking system entity applications, are submitted and how the
Department of Health of Senior Services selects licenses and
certificates.
(1) Conversion
from a medical facility license to a comprehensive facility license.
(A) A medical facility licensee may request
its medical facility license convert to a comprehensive facility license.
1. Conversion requests must be submitted in a
department- provided, web-based application system.
2. Conversion requests shall include a plan
that explains how the applicant will serve both the medical and adult-use
markets, while maintaining adequate supply at a reasonable cost to qualifying
patients.
3. Conversion requests
shall include a plan to promote and encourage participation in the regulated
marijuana industry by people from communities that have been disproportionately
impacted by marijuana prohibition.
4. Conversion requests shall be accompanied
by a nonrefundable fee of two thousand dollars ($2000).
5. A conversion request is deemed received
when all required documents and fees are received by the department.
6. The department shall approve or deny
conversion requests by email to the licensee's designated contact within sixty
(60) days after the conversion request is received. Conversion requests not
processed within sixty (60) days of department receipt shall be deemed
approved.
7. If the comprehensive
facility previously received approval to operate as a medical facility, the
comprehensive licensee may begin operating without additional approvals or
inspections from the department. If the comprehensive facility did not
previously receive approval to operate as a medical facility, the comprehensive
licensee may not operate until it requests a commencement inspection and
receives approval to operate as a comprehensive facility.
8. A conversion request will be granted
unless the medical facility licensee is not in good standing with the
department. Good standing means the license is not suspended or revoked at the
time the request is made.
(B) Converted comprehensive licenses will
retain the same expiration date assigned to the medical license.
(2) Facility application process.
(A) The department will publish on its
website time periods during which it will accept applications and, when
applicable, publish the number of licenses to be selected by lottery. The
department may extend an existing application time period by posting a new
application deadline on its website.
(B) Applications will be considered complete
if the application includes all documents required for applications by this
rule.
(C) The department will
receive applications for all medical and marijuana facility licenses or
certifications electronically through a department-provided, web-based
application system. In the event of application system unavailability, the
department will arrange to accept applications in an alternative,
department-provided format and will notify the public of those arrangements
through its website.
1. The department shall
charge each applicant seeking an available medical or marijuana facility
license an application fee to be submitted with the application. The department
shall publish the current fees, including any adjustments, on its website.
2. Application fees are
nonrefundable, except that a microbusiness facility applicant not chosen by
lottery may request a refund of its application fee.
A. Requests for a refund will be accepted
beginning thirty-one (31) days after the date of the denial but no later than
six (6) months after the date of the denial.
B. The application fee will be refunded if
the department determines the microbusiness facility applicant met the criteria
to apply for a microbusiness facility license and the applicant has no pending
or future legal actions related to the denial of the application. Issuance of a
refund is not a determination from the department that the applicant is
qualified for licensure or is entitled to a license in future applications
(D) The
issuance of a facility license or certification does not authorize the facility
licensee to begin activities related to marijuana authorized by the license. A
facility licensee will be granted final approval to operate upon passing a
commencement inspection.
(E) A
facility license or certification shall be valid for three (3) years from its
date of issuance.
(3)
Application requirements. Entities must obtain a license or certification to
operate a medical or marijuana facility in Missouri. Applications for facility
licenses or certifications, except for off-site storage of marijuana product,
shall include at least the following information:
(A) Name and address of the designated
contact for the applicant entity;
(B) Legal name of the applicant entity,
including fictitious business names;
(C) All owners of the applicant entity, with
ownership percentage, and a visual representation of the facility's ownership
structure;
(D) For all entities
licensed or certified or applying for licensure or certification in Missouri to
cultivate, manufacture, or dispense marijuana product, an attestation that the
entity is not and will not be under substantially common control, ownership, or
management as a testing facility;
(E) For a testing facility application, an
attestation that the entity is not and will not be under substantially common
control, ownership, or management as a cultivation facility licensee,
manufacturing facility licensee, or dispensary facility licensee;
(F) For a microbusiness facility license
application, an attestation that the applicant does not have an owner who is
also an owner of an existing medical, comprehensive, or another microbusiness
marijuana facility license;
(G) For
medical and comprehensive facility applicants, a list of all owners who are
also owners of a microbusiness facility license and the relevant microbusiness
license number(s);
(H) Proposed
address of the facility and-
1. An
attestation that the proposed facility location complies with the facility
location requirements of this chapter;
2. An attestation that the proposed facility
location complies with any facility location requirements of the local
government; and
3. A copy of, and a
hyperlink to, all local government requirements for facility location, such as
zoning requirements, if applicable. Applicable sections shall be highlighted in
the copy of the regulations;
(I) Proposed blueprints that outline the
entire facility and feature all rooms and areas clearly labeled, including
purpose and square footage, camera locations, limited access areas, and access
permissions;
(J) For facilities that
will be cultivating marijuana, the cultivation practices(s) (indoor, outdoor,
or greenhouse) used by the facility, and, if using a combination of practices,
the ratio of cultivation space limits for each cultivation practice, as
provided in the cultivation section of this chapter;
(K) An attestation that all individuals
subject to analysis for disqualifying felony offenses will submit fingerprints
within two (2) weeks after the application submission for a state and federal
fingerprint-based criminal background check to be conducted by the Missouri
State Highway Patrol;
(L) An
attestation that no individual subject to analysis for a disqualifying felony
offense has a disqualifying felony offense;
(M) All applicable fees; and
(N) For each comprehensive facility
applicant, the application shall include a plan that explains how the applicant
would serve both the medical and adult-use markets, while maintaining adequate
supply at a reasonable cost to qualifying patients, and a plan to promote and
encourage participation in the regulated marijuana industry by people from
communities that have been disproportionately impacted by marijuana
prohibition.
(4) In
addition to the application requirements in section (3) above, microbusiness
facility applicants must also provide the following:
(A) All entities, which includes individuals,
with an ownership interest in the applicant entity, indicating ownership
percentage, and a visual representation of the facility's ownership structure;
and
(B) Documents demonstrating
eligibility for microbusiness facility ownership as follows:
1. A valid (not expired) government-issued
photo ID; and
2. For applicants
claiming a net worth of less than two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($250,000)
and low income-
A. Sworn financial statements
demonstrating a net worth at the time of the application of less than two
hundred fifty thousand dollars ($250,000). This includes all marital property,
unless applicant provides evidence sufficient to demonstrate that property is
not jointly owned; and
B.
Documentation establishing that the applicant's gross household income was
below two hundred and fifty percent (250%) of the federal poverty guidelines
issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for at least three
(3) of the last ten (10) years. Income for each year claimed may be established
by tax returns, paycheck stubs summarizing the full income from the source for
the year, W-2s, evidence of job loss, or other documentation sufficient to
demonstrate gross income below two hundred and fifty percent (250%) of the
federal poverty level during the applicable year.
3. For applicants claiming a
service-connected disability:
A. A copy of
the front of the applicant's current veteran health identification card
demonstrating a service-connected disability; or
B. A copy of the applicant's VA benefit
summary letter, dated within six (6) months before the date of the application,
demonstrating a service-connected disability; or
C. A copy of the applicant's VA award letter,
dated within six (6) months before the date of the application, demonstrating a
service-connected disability; or
D.
If none of these proofs are available, some other current evidence of
service-connected disability which the department determines is sufficient
proof of service- connected disability.
4. For applicants claiming an arrest,
prosecution, or conviction for a non-violent marijuana offense-
A. A copy of the relevant arrest record;
or
B. A copy of the relevant FBI
background check; or
C. A copy of
the relevant arrest record and a letter from the prosecutor's office indicating
the charge filed; or
D. A copy of
the relevant arrest record and a certified copy of the judgment of conviction;
or
E. A copy of the relevant arrest
record and a certificate of expungement from a court; or
F. If none of these proofs are available,
some other evidence of the arrest, prosecution, or conviction which the
department determines is sufficient proof of arrest, prosecution, or conviction
of a non-violent marijuana offense; and
G. If the arrest, prosecution, or conviction
was for the applicant's parent, guardian, or spouse-
(I) A valid (not expired), government-issued
photo ID of the parent, guardian, or spouse; and
(II) Proof of relationship-
(a) A certified copy of the applicant's birth
certificate; or
(b) A certified
copy of the judgment of adoption or guardianship; or
(c) A certified copy of the marriage
certificate; or
(d) If none of
these proofs are available, some other evidence of relationship which the
department determines is sufficient proof of
relationship;
5. For applicants claiming residency in a ZIP
code or census tract area where either thirty percent (30%) or more of the
population lives below the federal poverty level or the rate of unemployment is
fifty percent (50%) higher than the state average, the application must
include-
A. Two (2) separate types of utility
bills (i.e. one (1) water bill, one (1) electric bill) dated within the last
four (4) months, which must include-
(I) The
name of the applicant;
(II) The
dates of service;
(III) The service
address; and
(IV) The billing
address; or
B. A copy of a
current residential lease, which must include the name of the applicant, the
full address, the date the lease went in to effect and expires, and an
affidavit from the applicant stating the applicant resides at that address; or
C. A copy of a residential
mortgage which includes the name of the applicant and the full address, and an
affidavit from the applicant stating the applicant resides at that address;
or
D. A copy of the applicant's
real or personal property taxes, dated within the past twelve (12) months,
which must include the applicant's name, address, and the date assessed; or
E. Other documentation sufficient
to demonstrate residency; and
F.
Documentation or screenshot from the most recent five- (5-) year estimates
published by the American Community Survey of the U.S. Census Bureau, for the
department to verify the claimed resident ZIP code tabulation area or census
tract contains the qualifying poverty or unemployment rate.
6. For applicants claiming
residency in a ZIP code or census tract area where the historic rate of
incarceration for marijuana-related offenses is fifty percent (50%) higher than
the rate for the entire state-
A. Two (2)
separate types of utility bills (i.e. one (1) water bill, one (1) electric
bill) dated within the last four (4) months, which must include:
(I) The name of the applicant;
(II) The dates of service;
(III) The service address; and
(IV) The billing address;
or
B. A copy of a current
residential lease, which must include the name of the applicant, the full
address, the date the lease went in to effect and expires, and an affidavit
from the applicant stating the applicant resides at that address; or
C. A copy of a residential mortgage which
includes the name of the applicant and the full address, and an affidavit from
the applicant stating the applicant resides at that address; or
D. A copy of the applicant's real or personal
property taxes, dated within the past twelve (12) months, which must include
the applicant's name, address, and the date assessed.
A list of qualifying ZIP codes in Missouri, using data
obtained from the Missouri State Highway Patrol, is included herein. For
individuals residing in a different state, the application must include data
from a comparable state authority sufficient to demonstrate the claimed
resident ZIP code or census tract contains the qualifying incarceration rate
for marijuana offenses.
Zip Codes in Missouri with Qualifying
Historic Rate of Incarceration
|
63050
|
63555
|
64469
|
65103
|
65483
|
63065
|
63556
|
64473
|
65104
|
65532
|
63066
|
63565
|
64477
|
65105
|
65536
|
63084
|
63633
|
64482
|
65106
|
65560
|
63101
|
63640
|
64601
|
65107
|
65565
|
63105
|
63645
|
64633
|
65108
|
65582
|
63150
|
63651
|
64640
|
65111
|
65607
|
63169
|
63664
|
64653
|
65201
|
65613
|
63188
|
63670
|
64683
|
65205
|
65622
|
63195
|
63736
|
64701
|
65212
|
65625
|
63199
|
63755
|
64759
|
65216
|
65653
|
63301
|
63779
|
64766
|
65233
|
65656
|
63302
|
63834
|
64772
|
65248
|
65661
|
63334
|
63857
|
64776
|
65259
|
65667
|
63361
|
63869
|
64856
|
65261
|
65668
|
63379
|
64028
|
65018
|
65265
|
65712
|
63380
|
64067
|
65020
|
65275
|
65721
|
63383
|
64068
|
65036
|
65299
|
65785
|
63435
|
64079
|
65041
|
65301
|
65801
|
63457
|
64085
|
65051
|
65302
|
65802
|
63459
|
64106
|
65055
|
65340
|
65805
|
63466
|
64184
|
65082
|
65401
|
63469
|
64187
|
65084
|
65402
|
63548
|
64198
|
65101
|
65409
|
63552
|
64424
|
65102
|
65466
|
7. For applicants claiming graduation from a
school district that was unaccredited, or had a similar successor designation,
at the time of graduation:
A. Documentation
from the school district or a state accrediting authority sufficient for the
department to verify that the school district was unaccredited at the time of
graduation; and
B. An official copy
of the applicant's high school diploma; or
C. A letter from the applicant's high school
demonstrating that the applicant graduated from the school and the year the
applicant graduated.
8.
For applicants claiming residency in a ZIP code containing an unaccredited
school district, or similar successor designation for three (3) of the past
five (5) years:
A. Documentation from the
school district or a state accrediting authority sufficient for the department
to verify that the school district was unaccredited during at least one (1) of
the three (3) years the applicant resided in the school district; and
B. A copy of two (2) separate types of
utility bills (i.e. one (1) water bill, one (1) electric bill,) for each
quarter of the three (3) years that the applicant claims to have lived in said
location which must include:
(I) The name of
the applicant;
(II) The dates of
service;
(III) The service address;
and
(IV) The billing address;
or
C. Copies of
residential leases for three (3) of the past five (5) years, which must include
the name of the applicant, the full address, and the effective date and the
expiration date of the lease; or
D.
A copy of a residential mortgage which includes the name of the applicant and
the address, along with an affidavit that the applicant resided at that address
during the applicable years; or
E.
A copy of three (3) of the last five (5) years' real or personal property taxes
for the applicant, which must include the applicant's name, address, and the
date; or
F. An applicant may
provide any of the acceptable types of documentation for each year they are
claiming residency in the ZIP code (i.e., utility bills from one year, lease
from a separate year, and property taxes for a third year).
(C) For applicants
claiming a service-connected disability, a copy of the front of the applicant's
valid service-connected disability card;
(D) For applicants claiming an arrest,
prosecution, or conviction for a non-violent marijuana offense-
1. A copy of the relevant arrest record;
or
2. A copy of the relevant FBI
background check; or
3. A certified
copy of the relevant prosecutor's case file; or
4. A letter from the prosecutor's office
indicating the charge filed; or
5.
A certified copy of the judgment of conviction; or
6. A certificate of expungement from a court;
and
7. If the arrest, prosecution,
or conviction was for the applicant's parent, guardian, or spouse-
A. A valid, government-issued photo ID of the
parent, guardian, or spouse; and
B.
Proof of relationship-
(I) A certified copy
of the applicant's birth certificate; or
(II) A certified copy of the judgment of
adoption or guardianship; or
(III)
A certified copy of the marriage certificate;
(E) For applicants claiming
residency in a ZIP code or census tract area where either thirty percent (30%)
or more of the population lives below the federal poverty level or the rate of
unemployment is fifty percent (50%) higher than the state average (for
qualifying areas in the state, a list of ZIP codes and census tracts will be
published on the department's website)-
1. Two
(2) separate types of utility bills (i.e., one (1) water bill, one (1) electric
bill) dated within the last four (4) months, which must include-
A. The name of the applicant;
B. The dates of service;
C. The service address; and
D. The billing address; or
2. A copy of a current residential
lease, which must include the name of the applicant, the full address, the date
the lease went in to effect and expires, and an affidavit from the applicant
stating the applicant resides at that address; or
3. A copy of a residential mortgage which
includes the name of the applicant and the full address, and an affidavit from
the applicant stating the applicant resides at that address; or
4. A copy of the applicant's real or personal
property taxes, dated within the past twelve (12) months, which must include
the applicant's name and the date assessed;
(F) For applicants claiming residency in a
ZIP code or census tract area where the historic rate of incarceration for
marijuana-related offenses is fifty percent (50%) higher than the rate for the
entire state-
1. A certified letter from the
local prosecutor's office verifying compliance with this requirement;
and
2. Two (2) separate types of
utility bills (i.e., one (1) water bill, one (1) electric bill) dated within
the last four (4) months, which must include:
A. The name of the applicant;
B. The dates of service;
C. The service address; and
D. The billing address; or
3. A copy of a current residential
lease, which must include the name of the applicant, the full address, the date
the lease went in to effect and expires, and an affidavit from the applicant
stating the applicant resides at that address; or
4. A copy of a residential mortgage which
includes the name of the applicant and the full address, and an affidavit from
the applicant stating the applicant resides at that address; or
5. A copy of the applicant's real or personal
property taxes, dated within the past twelve (12) months, which must include
the applicant's name and the date assessed;
(G) For applicants claiming graduation from a
school district that was unaccredited, or had a similar successor designation,
at the time of graduation, a certified letter from the Missouri Department of
Elementary and Secondary Education indicating that the applicable school
district was unaccredited in the year the applicant claims to have graduated
from the school, and-
1. A certified copy of
the applicant's high school diploma; or
2. A letter from the applicant's school, on
school letter head, stating that the applicant graduated from the school;
or
(H) For applicants
claiming residency in a ZIP code containing an unaccredited school district, or
similar successor designation, for three (3) of the past five (5) years, a
certified letter from the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary
Education indicating that the applicable school district was unaccredited in
the year(s) the applicant claims to have lived there, and-
1. A copy of two (2) separate types of
utility bills (i.e., one (1) water bill, one (1) electric bill,) for each
quarter of the three (3) years that the applicant claims to have lived in said
location which must include:
A. The name of
the applicant;
B. The dates of
service;
C. The service address;
and
D. The billing address;
or
2. Copies of
residential leases for three (3) of the past five (5) years, which must include
the name of the applicant, the full address, and the effective date and the
expiration date of the lease; or
3.
A copy of a residential mortgage which includes the name of the applicant and
the address, along with an affidavit that the applicant resided at that address
during the applicable years; or
4.
A copy of three (3) of the last five (5) years' real or personal property taxes
for the applicant, which must include the applicant's name, address, and the
date; or
5. An applicant may
provide any of the acceptable types documentation for each year they are
claiming residency in the ZIP code (i.e., utility bills from one year, lease
from a separate year, and property taxes for a third year).
(5) Application
requirements for warehouses. Licensees must obtain a separate certification for
each warehouse facility used for storing marijuana product at a location other
than the approved location of the licensee. Such requests must be submitted
after the licensee's facility has passed a commencement inspection and shall
include at least the following information:
(A) Proposed blueprints for the facility that
outline the entire facility and feature all rooms and areas clearly labeled,
including purpose and square footage, camera locations, limited access areas,
and access permissions;
(B) An
attestation that the proposed location for the warehouse complies with the
facility location requirements of this chapter and any facility location
requirements of the local government;
(C) Documentation from the local government
with jurisdiction over the facility's location confirming that the proposed
warehouse location complies with local distance requirements, or stating that
there are none;
(D) If the local
government in which the warehouse will be located has enacted applicable zoning
restrictions, documentation from the local government with jurisdiction over
the offsite storage location confirming that the proposed location complies
with applicable zoning restrictions;
(E) An attestation that the warehouse will
comply with all other rules applicable to the facility for which the warehouse
is being established; and
(F) An
administrative and processing fee of five thousand dollars ($5000).
(G) Approved warehouse certificates shall
have the same expiration and renewal date as the facility for which the
warehouse is being established.
(6) Application approval and denial process.
(A) In cases where there are more applicants
than available licenses or certificates, the department will select applicants
for available licenses or certifications by lottery.
1. All timely applications submitted with an
application fee during an application time period will be entered into the
lottery. Untimely applications or applications without an application fee will
be denied.
2. Applications entered
into the lottery will be assigned an application identifier by the department.
The assigned identifiers will be transmitted to the entity conducting the
lottery. The individual(s) conducting the lottery will do so without reference
to the identities of the applicants.
3. Identifiers will be randomly drawn and
listed in the order drawn. If licenses are issued by congressional district,
separate drawings will occur for each congressional district.
4. After identifiers are drawn, the
department will review the application corresponding to the selected
identifier, beginning with the first identifier drawn, to determine if the
applicant is eligible for licensure prior to issuing the license.
A. Applicants are responsible for submitting
a complete and accurate application as set out in this chapter. However, the
department may request an applicant to provide additional information or
documents needed to determine eligibility for a license by sending the request
to the email address of the designated contact associated with the application.
If requested, the applicant will have three (3) business days from the date the
email is sent to provide the requested information or documents.
5. If during the application
review period, the department determines an application meets all of the
license eligibility requirements in this chapter and Article XIV, the license
will be issued.
6. An application
will be denied if-
A. The application is not
complete;
B. The applicant,
application, or any proposal in the application, is in violation of any rule in
this chapter or Article XIV;
C.
Awarding a license would result in an entity being an owner in more licenses
than permitted by Article XIV Section
2.3(9-11);
D. The applicant provides false or misleading
information in an application;
E.
The applicant fails to timely provide information or records requested by the
department;
F. An entity, which
includes an individual, holds an ownership interest in more than one (1)
microbusiness applicant in the same microbusiness application period, all
microbusiness applications where the entity holds an ownership interest will be
denied;
G. The department
determines an application fails to meet the license eligibility requirements in
this chapter and Article XIV.
7. If an application is denied, the
department will review the next application in the order drawn until the
available licenses or certifications are issued.
8. Once all available licenses or
certifications are issued, the remaining applications entered into the lottery
for that application time period will be denied for failure to be selected in
the lottery.
(B) In cases
where fewer applications are received in an application time period than there
are available licenses or certifications, or for applications for licenses and
certifications without a limit on the number to be issued, all complete
applications meeting the license eligibility requirements in this chapter and
Article XIV will be granted. Applications will be denied if subject to denial
in paragraph (6)(A)6.
(C) Any
denial shall be issued by the department in writing to the applicant and shall
include the specific reasons for the denial and the process for requesting
review of the department's decision.
(D) All applicants that are issued a license
or certification will be given forty-eight (48) hours to confirm they accept
the license or certification. Failure to accept the license or certification in
this time frame may result in deactivation of the license or certification, and
the department may then offer a license or certification to the next eligible
applicant in the order drawn.
(7) Renewals. Renewal requests must be
submitted in a department-provided, web-based application system at least
thirty (30) days, but no sooner than ninety (90) days, prior to expiration.
(A) Renewal requests shall be accompanied by
a nonrefundable renewal fee to be submitted with the request. The department
shall publish the current fees, including any adjustments, on its website at
http://cannabis.mo.gov.
(B) A renewal request is deemed received when
both the request and renewal fee is received by the department.
(C) Except for good cause, a renewal request
will be granted unless the facility licensee is not in good standing with the
department. Good standing means the license is not suspended or revoked at the
time the request is made.