​Medical Marijuana

MSMA will be meeting with the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, which has been tasked with promulgating rules to carry out the Amendment 2. The amendment is scheduled to take effect on Dec. 8, 2018.
What MSMA Members Need to Know About Medical Marijuana and Amendment 2
 Missouri voters approved Constitutional Amendment 2 on November 6, 2018, one of three ballot questions that allow for the use of marijuana for medical purposes.  The other two ballot questions did not pass. Here’s what MSMA members need to know:
  • The effective date of Amendment 2 is December 6, 2018, but the practical effects of the Amendment will take some time to come to fruition.
  • The Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) is the state agency charged with effectuating the Amendment.  MSMA will be meeting with the department next week regarding the promulgation of rules and regulations.
  • By June 6, 2019, the Department of Health and Senior Services must have application forms available for individuals who wish to become “qualifying patients”
  • DHSS must begin accepting these applications by July 6, 2019.
  • The application for a qualifying patient must be accompanied by a physician certification that is less than 30 days old.
  • A “qualifying patient” must have a condition or symptom of, or side effect related to the treatment of:
    • cancer
    • epilepsy
    • glaucoma
    • intractable migraines unresponsive to other treatment
    • a chronic medical condition that causes severe, persistent pain or persistent muscle spasms, including but not limited to those associated with multiple sclerosis, seizures, Parkinson’s disease, and Tourette’s syndrome
    • rehabilitating psychiatric disorders, including but not limited to, post-traumatic stress disorder, if diagnosed by a state-licensed psychiatrist
    • human immunodeficiency virus or acquired immune deficiency syndrome
    • a chronic medical condition that is normally treated with a prescription medication that could lead to physical or psychological dependence, which a physician determines that medical use of marijuana could be effective in treating that condition and would serve as a safer alternative to the prescription medication
    • any terminal illness
    • in the professional judgment of a physician, and other chronic, debilitating or other medical condition, including but not limited to, hepatitis C, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, inflammatory bowel disease, Crohn’s disease, Huntington’s disease, autism, neuropathies, sickle cell anemia, agitation of Alzheimer’s disease, cachexia, and wasting syndrome.
  • A “physician certification” is a written or electronic document signed by a physician that states that in the physician’s professional opinion, the patient suffers from a qualifying medical condition from the above list.
READ/DOWNLOAD Scientific and Perspective Articles from Missouri Medicine
MSMA's Medical Marijuana Policy
  • MSMA believes there is evidence that suggests marijuana and its related derivatives may have therapeutic benefits for patients with certain medical conditions.  As such, MSMA calls on the Food and Drug Administration and the Drug Enforcement Administration to promptly revise marijuana’s current classification as a Schedule I controlled substance in order to facilitate evidence-based, scientifically-valid clinical research to evaluate its efficacy and safety. (2017)
AMA Marijuana/Cannabis Policies
Current Missouri Statute on CBD Oil/Hemp Extract
 
In Missouri statute, CBD oil is referred to as hemp extract. Missouri law currently allows patients (both minors and adults) who have been diagnosed with intractable epilepsy to apply for a hemp extract registration card, issued by the Department of Health and Senior Services. To receive the card, a patient with intractable epilepsy (or their parent, if the patient is a minor) must obtain a statement from a neurologist who is licensed in Missouri and board certified in neurology stating that the patient may benefit from treatment with hemp extract. The card, once received, allows these adult patients with epilepsy and the parents of minor patients with epilepsy to purchase and possess up to 20 ounces of hemp extract. There are currently only two state-licensed entities in Missouri who can produce hemp extract: BeLeaf Company in Earth City and Noah’s Arc Foundation in Chesterfield.
 
Despite these fairly stringent requirements, there are several stores around the state that sell products containing unlicensed CBD oil. The legality of these stores and the purity of their products is strongly debated. The stores claim that since their products contain extremely low levels of THC and less than five percent cannabidiol, they do not qualify as “hemp extract” under state law and therefore are not subject to the penalties contained in our hemp extract statutes. Municipalities and local law enforcement have shown varying levels of tolerance with regard to these stores and the possession of their products.
 
If you’d like to read the hemp extract statutes in full, please visit the following links: 
For more information regarding the hemp extract registration card and licensed producers, please visit the following links: