On behalf of Rosenblum Schwartz & Fry posted in Drug Crimes on Tuesday, July 2, 2019.
“Santa Claus doesn’t bring it.”
That is unquestionably true. Because if he did and was questioned by Missouri law enforcers, he’d likely be arrested.
Today’s blog post topic is medicinal marijuana, which Missouri lawmakers legalized late last year. Reform advocates are enthralled … and confused.
Here’s why they feel a bit muddled. On the one hand, would-be manufacturers duly licensed by the state to grow pot for medical use are psyched to get going. On the other hand, they need seeds to commence operations, and obtaining them from any third party is federally taboo as well as a felony under Missouri law.
That spells conundrum for prospective participants in a program widely endorsed by state residents.
“It’s a real sticky situation,” says one commentator. In fact, he adds, “It’s weird.”
Like a majority of other states, Missouri has spent considerable time, effort and expense to conclude that implementing a medicinal pot scheme is beneficial. A predominant view stresses that enforcement agencies espousing a generally hardline stance against marijuana will discreetly honor the state’s commitment to move forward.
That is, they will remain impassive as growers seek to procure the seeds necessary to get their operations up and running.
That is certainly the hope of many industry entrants who have in good faith sought to negotiate every regulatory hurdle en route to getting their businesses started.
“The goal is to get the program off the ground and running,” says a spokesperson with the National Cannabis Industry Association. He believes that as Missouri growers maneuver to find their seed stock, law enforcers will “look the other way.”
If they don’t, the new program will be immediately imperiled and spotlighted in a complex legal battle.