Missouri Distributes State Marijuana Revenue

The promise was always that legalized marijuana would consume all outstanding state debt and provide a surplus. Maybe all those people were high, or maybe this is just the beginning of their hazy vision coming true.

Is the marijuana promised vision coming to pass?

The state of Missouri raked in revenue from adult-use marijuana to the tune of over 23.5 million dollars. Per the plan, that revenue was split up among three groups. The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, the Missouri Veterans Commission and the Missouri State Public Defenders Office.

Mo. State Public Defenders Office - Jefferson City

The Department of Health and Hunan Services says they will apply their third of the money to addiction treatments and overdose prevention. The Veterans Commission will use their cut for military veterans and families of veterans. The State Public Defenders office plans on spending the money on expanding legal assistance to low-income Missouri residents.

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As more and more states hop onboard the marijuana money train, there will eventually be a new dynamic that comes into play. The market. The public sector doesn’t compete for business, but with the states controlling the marijuana industry within their specific borders, but not the customer who can travel across state lines to “shop”, winners and losers will emerge. If Illinois has better marijuana products, and Missouri doesn’t alter its formula and approach (or price), customers near Illinois will choose to buy there instead. Thusly, revenue will go down.

State vs state competition will become a factor for revenue

We are just beginning this journey into states trying to manage and control a market. There is revenue to be had for sure. But state’s need to be able to see the trends and get to the future before neighboring states or this magical revenue won’t be growing wildly.