Efforts underway to legalize recreational marijuana in Missouri

Could recreational marijuana become legal in Missouri? There are several efforts in the works to make it happen, from legislation to petitions. But not everyone is on board.

Running a dispensary is more than a full-time job.

“It’s a lot. It’s just 24 hours a day, that’s all we do,” said Bianca Sullivan.

Sullivan and her husband, Rob, opened the first medical marijuana dispensary in the Kansas City area. Now, they want to expand to the recreational market.

“We’re all for the full legalization of marijuana that nobody goes to jail for and it’s not a crime,” said Rob Sullivan.

The Sullivans are helping write a petition to put a constitutional amendment on the 2022 ballot. It’s the same way medical marijuana was approved.

“Once you have a certain amount of signatures, you know, per a certain amount of districts, you can get it on the ballot,” Rob Sullivan said.

There’s also legislation in the Missouri statehouse to legalize marijuana, but a constitutional amendment may be easier and faster to get approved.

“The constitution trumps the laws that the Legislature makes because the people spoke,” Rob Sullivan said. [Read more at KMBC ABC]