More than three dozen BCMS members and guests attended the Oct. 1 General Membership meeting for an update on Missouri's Medical Marijuana Program.
The featured speaker was Lyndall Fraker, Director of Missouri's Section for Medical Marijuana Regulation.
Fraker gave an overview of the program, including the number of patient applications (exceeds 8,500) and estimates on the number of patients who might qualify for a medical marijuana certification (estimated by the Department of Health and Senior Services to be between 120,000 and 180,000 people).
Fraker said the state has collected more than $13 million in fees from those who have applied for things like cultivation, manufacturing and dispensary licenses.
Columbia Assistant City Counselor Jose Caldera also spoke at the event. He said medical marijuana facilities in Columbia may not be within 500 feet of an existing school, child-care center or church, and that dispensary facilities will be limited to 1 per 20,000 population (meaning Columbia could have up to seven dispensaries).