NEOSHO, Mo. — Missouri dispensaries received more business than usual as recreational marijuana is now available.
Friday, the state distributed recreational marijuana licenses, allowing dispensaries around Missouri to sell the legalized plant.
According to Mark Hendren of Flora Farms, recreational marijuana could bring $1.2 billion dollars into Missouri's economy.
Flora Farms dispensary in Neosho is about an hour away from Fayetteville, which Hendren said might be the closest recreational dispensary to Northwest Arkansas.
"Right now the business is more like five times while we've been doing in medical," said Hendren. "For the last two days, 80% of the phone calls have been from an Arkansas area code."
Hendren is the president of Flora Farms which owns 4 dispensaries, a cultivation plant, and manufacturing.
"We supply probably 90% of the other dispensaries throughout the state with our product," said Hendren.
The president of Flora Farms said they'd been working towards recreational marijuana for nearly 3 years and have been meticulous about laws surrounding the sale.
"Not only do we have those cameras, that we watched them, and we monitor them, but we have to let the state of Missouri monitors them as well remotely," said Hendren.
Voters approved an amendment in November, making Missouri the 21st state to legalize recreational cannabis. Anyone 21 and over can buy it in the state, but transporting it across state lines remains illegal under federal law. Hendren believes the laws in place will keep Missouri safe and well-regulated.
"By going to the regulated market, we should see fewer issues with crime and with trouble," said the Flora Farms president.
Missouri charges a 4% tax on medical marijuana while charging 6% on recreational. They've also given cities the chance to add their own tax of up to 3%, which Hendren said many were working to put the issue on their April ballot.
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