Missouri is following a trend that has recently come to many other Midwestern states, like Illinois and Michigan. Recreational marijuana is now legal for adult use within the state. This is a stark contrast to the previous decades, where it was considered to be a controlled substance along the lines of hard drugs, such as heroin.
But it is now more akin to alcohol in that sales are still controlled and must be done at a legal dispensary. Buying and selling marijuana individually is still prohibited. You can only purchase it at a licensed dispensary if you are approved for that purchase and you are old enough to do so. What are some of the other rules that you should know about?
The age limit
First of all, you do have to be 21 years old. This is another way in which marijuana now compares to alcohol. Buying or using it while underage is still just as illegal as it was before.
How much can you have?
Another thing to keep in mind is that you’re only legally allowed to possess a total of 3 ounces at a single time. This means that someone could believe they are making a legal purchase but could still run into issues if they simply have too much of the product on them at once. It’s very important to know exactly how much you’re purchasing since marijuana comes in very in a lot of different forms – such as edibles, concentrates and much more.
Can you smoke in public?
No, it is illegal under current Missouri law to smoke in public. This includes no parks or sidewalks. It also illegal to smoke in a moving car.
You can buy legally in Missouri, but you can’t take home to Kansas!
While it is perfectly legal in Missouri to purchase and privately use marijuana, you can’t take it to your home in Kansas. It is still illegal in Kansas, and if you get caught, please call me!
The first sales of marijuana were only made at the beginning of February 2023, so all of these changes are fairly new. If changing laws leads to mistakes and criminal charges, those involved need to know what legal options they have.