Southeast Mo. dispensary reacts to Nov. ballot initiative on recreational marijuana

MISSOURI (KFVS) - Missouri voters will decide whether to legalize recreational marijuana in the Show Me State in November.

“We’re super excited. We’re absolutely thrilled,” Sara Gunther-Jackson, general manager for Greenlight Dispensary in Cape Girardeau, said.

Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft announced on Tuesday, August 9 a ballot initiative filed earlier this year received enough valid signatures to be put on the Missouri ballot during the general election on November 8.

“I encourage Missourians to study and educate themselves on any ballot initiative,” Ashcroft said, noting the proposal to legalize recreational marijuana “is particularly lengthy and should be given careful consideration.”

If approved, the initiative would legalize marijuana for people 21 and older, and expunge some criminal records linked to the drug.

State officials estimate legalizing the drug in Missouri would generate nearly $41 million a year in revenue for the state and generate nearly $14 million a year for local governments.

“There’s a large amount of tax revenue that’s going to be brought directly into our state and directly into our community,” Gunther-Jackson said. “Cape Girardeau alone is going to see a three-percent tax revenue from this that they’ve never seen before and that’s a beautiful thing.”

Missouri voters legalized medical marijuana in 2018.

While the proposal to legalize recreational marijuana has enough signatures to be on the state ballot, just 4,267 valid signatures came from the state’s 8th Congressional District, which includes southeast Missouri.

“I personally don’t see a ton of challenges. I think this is really going to be supported by Missouri voters,” Gunther-Jackson said.

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