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The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) has determined that as many as 10 medical marijuana testing facilities could be licensed in Missouri. Article XIV of the Missouri Constitution calls for \"at least two\" testing facilities for the new program. Testing facilities will be licensed to acquire, test, certify and transport marijuana.

DHSS also established ten advisory committees composed of subject matter experts who helped review questions for the facility license applications in late April. The set of application questions and evaluation criteria scoring table were updated following committee recommendations and are now available online.

One member from each of the ten advisory committees will now serve on the Medical Marijuana Scoring Advisory Committee, and they will meet from 4-5 p.m. on May 14 at the Harry S. Truman State Office Building, Room 494, 301 West High Street in Jefferson City, to determine the weight each topic will hold within the application scoring process. Topics in which facility applicants will be scored on were set in Article XIV of the Constitution. They include:

• Character, veracity, background, qualifications and relevant experience of principal officers or managers;
• Business plan proposed by the applicant, which in the case of cultivation facilities and dispensaries shall include the ability to maintain an adequate supply of marijuana, plans to ensure safety and security of Qualifying Patients and the community, procedures to be used to prevent diversion, and any plan for making marijuana available to low-income Qualifying Patients;
• Site security;
• Experience in a legal cannabis market;
• In the case of medical marijuana testing facilities, the experience of their personnel with testing marijuana, food or drugs for toxins and/or potency and health care industry experience;
• Potential for positive impact in the site community;
• In the case of medical marijuana cultivation facilities, capacity or experience with agriculture, horticulture and health care;
• In the case of medical marijuana dispensary facilities, capacity or experience with health care, the suitability of the proposed location and its accessibility for patients;
• In the case of medical marijuana-infused products manufacturing facilities, capacity or experience with food and beverage manufacturing; and
• Maintaining competitiveness in the marijuana for medical use marketplace.

Facility license application forms and instructions will be available online June 4, and DHSS will accept completed applications from August 3-17. DHSS and contracted partners will then have until December 31 to review and score applications prior to licensing.

DHSS will continue accepting feedback on all drafts of rules via an online suggestion form until May 15. All rules must be finalized and available to the public by June 4. Until then, draft rules are subject to change.

About the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services: The department seeks to be the leader in protecting health and keeping people safe. More information about DHSS can be found at http://health.mo.gov or find us on Facebook and Twitter @HealthyLivingMo.