SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) approved licenses for some Springfield dispensaries, allowing them to sell recreational marijuana.
DHSS announced Thursday, February 2nd that 90 percent of medical marijuana dispensaries had applied for a license to sell recreational weed in December. The department had 60 days from the application date to review and approve the requests.
“We got an email last night saying that the state would start issuing these conversion licenses [Friday] as opposed to Monday,” Old Route 66 CEO John Lopez said. “I looked at the approval email at about 6 a.m. [Friday] morning. Then it was a couple text messages, all hands on deck. And what we were planning for Monday is now happening now.”
Nearly a dozen Springfield dispensaries were approved to operate under a comprehensive license:
- BD Health Retail 2
- MO Retail Products Group
- Old Route 66 Wellness
- Revival Ninety-Eight
- Ozarx Botanicals
- Bloom Medicinals of MO
- Grassroots OpCo MO
- BBMO 2
- OWG I
- V3 MO Vending 5
Old Route 66 Wellness has been preparing for recreational sales since voter passed it in November.
“We added a pickup window so people can order online, they can pick up right at the window instead of waiting for pickup at the drive thru or have it delivered right to them,” Lopez said. “We went from two to three bud-tenders a day and now we can have nine. We want to not take away from anyone who wants to learn about marijuana and the effects of it. So at any time they can speak with any of our bud-tenders or anyone that has knowledge on that.”
Lopez said there will be two lines for customers when they come to make a purchase. One line will be for recreational purchases, and the other will be for medical purchases.
“I feel like there’s a lot of people who’ve missed out on on a medicine that can help you,” Lopez said. “Now that we can open this up to everyone, I still feel that this is a something that everyone can use.”
Old Route 66 spent Friday getting inventory ready for new customers, as well as adding a tax for recreational purchases. The dispensary officially opened up for recreational sales at noon.
“Very exciting and very happy that it’s finally here,” William Mazelin said. “I honestly kind of felt like Missouri would have pushed for it a lot sooner and we would have legalized it a lot sooner. But it was pretty exciting to hear that it passed in November and have been waiting since. I see it as a big step in achievement for a lot of people who’ve been fighting for our right to do that.”
Old Route 66 dispensary is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. There is also a drive-through open Monday through Saturday from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.
