(KTTS News) — Missouri has awarded 48 marijuana microbusiness licenses, expanding the legal cannabis market in the state.

The applicants won the licenses by entering a state lottery.

The licenses are divided up according to Missouri’s eight congressional districts.

Press Release

Today, Missouri’s Division of Cannabis Regulation (DCR) issued 48 marijuana microbusiness licenses to top applicants drawn in the August 28 lottery. To ensure the integrity of the random drawing, the Missouri Lottery conducted the drawing without reference to the identities of the applicants. DCR received more than 1,600 applications during the July 27-August 10 application period. A list of lottery drawing results and approved microbusiness licensees can be found on the Department website, Cannabis.Mo.Gov.

Six microbusiness licenses were awarded within each of Missouri’s eight congressional districts. Of the six in each district, two are microbusiness dispensary licenses and four are microbusiness wholesale facility licenses. Prior to issuing the licenses, DCR conducted a review of the drawn applications to determine whether applicants were eligible to receive a license.

Any applicant not chosen by lottery is eligible for a refund, which must be requested by submitting a microbusiness application refund request form. A refund may be granted if the applicant certifies it met the criteria for a license and has no pending or future litigation. Requests for a refund will be accepted beginning Nov. 2, 2023, and the microbusiness application refund request form and refund instructions will be available on the Department website by that date.

An additional 48 licenses will be issued through each subsequent application/lottery window in 2024 and 2025. For more information about microbusiness licensing and application requirements, visit Cannabis.Mo.Gov.