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 The Cannabis Connection - July 2026
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Welcome to The Cannabis Connection Newsletter -
Your information link to the Division of Cannabis Regulation (DCR)!
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DCR Director's Note
By: Amy Moore, Director
The last time I wrote to readers of The Cannabis Connection back in January of 2025, I noted that change is not just a temporary phase in our world but is, in fact, inherent in what we all do. As many can attest, the past few months have done nothing but reinforce that reality! Between changes in federal law set to take effect in November 2026 that clarify the lines between hemp and marijuana, a Department of Justice order rescheduling certain marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III, and the hearing process beginning in June to consider rescheduling marijuana generally, we have seen more federal action affecting state‑regulated marijuana in six months than we’ve seen the entire six-plus years of the Missouri program’s existence.
Thankfully, we as a regulated state are well‑equipped to handle seismic shifts, if that is indeed what is occurring. Over the past several years, our division has been steadily strengthening the foundations that prepare us for moments like these. In 2025, we built out our teams, refined complex internal and external processes, met major regulatory and operational deadlines, and engaged extensively with our many stakeholders through workgroup, listening sessions, and deepening relationships. These were not small undertakings; they required coordination, communication, resilience, and a willingness to adapt quickly and thoughtfully.
Just as important, we invested in broader strategic planning and cultural transformation across DCR. Those efforts didn’t just improve how we work day-to-day; they created stronger systems, clearer decision‑making pathways, and a culture that embraces change instead of fearing it. Because of this, we are not approaching potential regulatory shifts from a place of uncertainty—we are approaching them from a place of preparedness. The challenges we have already navigated have built a team that is practiced, steady, and ready to respond with clarity and collaboration.
As we look ahead, I am grateful for everyone who has partnered with us so far and all who are willing to walk alongside us as our landscape continues to evolve.
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Cannabis Food Safety (CFS) Program Update
By: Jamie Minter, Compliance Officer, Bureau of Product Integrity
This spring, the Division of Cannabis Regulation (DCR) announced a June launch date for the Cannabis Food Safety (CFS) Program. The CFS Program does not introduce new requirements. Instead, it establishes a dedicated team for evaluating compliance with 19 CSR 100-1.170, which requires manufacturing licensees to follow the applicable food safety standards in 19 CSR 20. The applicable food safety standards are those found in 19 CSR 20-1.040 Good Manufacturing Practices, which adopt the requirements in 21 CFR § 117.
DCR has been working to share information about the CFS program through the Stay in the Green: Compliance Assistance Program (GreenCAP) virtual session, the Missouri Cannabis Regulation Collaborative (MCRC) meeting and email updates to licensees. To support the successful implementation of this new program, DCR is collaborating with the MCRC manufacturing licensee representatives to review materials and provide feedback throughout the rollout of the CFS Program.
The collaborative efforts include reviewing CFS Round 1 Inspection Checklist, providing feedback through a virtual meeting, and participating in on-site inspections. The feedback gathered so far from these collaborative efforts has already helped focus and strengthen the CFS Program to promote the health and safety of ingestible cannabis product for consumers. DCR sincerely appreciates the participation and partnership MCRC manufacturing licensees who volunteered to be a part of the CFS Program implementation.
Manufacturing licensees will receive an optional self-inspection checklist to prepare for the upcoming CFS Program inspections.
As a reminder, CFS inspections are scheduled events, to allow licensees preparation time to ensure that appropriate staff are available and present during the inspection.
By Jason Brooks, Policy Analyst, Office of Policy and Research
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Rule
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Description
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Status
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HB 2641
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Intoxicating Cannabinoid Control Act
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HB2641 defines and regulates hemp-derived cannabinoid product as marijuana under Article XIV of the Missouri Constitution. The bill was signed into law on April 23, 2026 and is scheduled to take effect on November 12, 2026 barring any federal changes.
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19 CSR 100-1.060 and 19 CSR 100.190
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Microbusiness
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Rules became effective on May 30, 2026.
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19 CSR 100-1.200
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Research License
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Public comment period ended on May 31, 2026. Comments are currently under review with a final draft to be completed and filed with JCAR and SOS no later than August 28, 2026.
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19 CSR 100-1.070 and 19 CSR 100-1.100
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Revisions to Owners and Facilities Generally
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Draft revisions were posted for informal stakeholder feedback in the beginning of March. The division is currently reviewing and making changes to rules based on stakeholder feedback.
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Customer Experience Overview
By: Shayna Arndt
Director, Section for Patient and Application Services
In July 2025, the DCR call center introduced a customer satisfaction survey to identify opportunities for efficiency and improve customer experience. When a caller reaches the DCR call center, they are asked whether they would like to participate in a survey after the call. Those who opt in receive a text link once the call is completed. This survey was implemented as part of a statewide initiative to improve customer satisfaction within state call centers.
The survey looks at 4 key metrics: Overall customer satisfaction, confidence in the DCR staff working in the call center, wait times and DCR staff performance. The survey data is further broken down into the top reasons that customers contact the DCR call center, how many required additional contact to resolve their concerns, and where in the state calls come from.
The DCR call center has consistently exceeded statewide scoring goals for the metrics measured by survey feedback.
- Customer satisfaction has an average rating of 4.5 out of 5.
- Customer confidence in DCR staff has an average rating of 4.2 out of 5.
- Wait time ratings average a 4.7 out of 5.
- DCR staff performance scores average an 18.6 out of 20.
- Within this topic, friendliness, knowledgeability, helpfulness and patience all received average ratings of 90 percent or higher.
- Most calls come from the Kansas City, St. Louis, and Springfield areas.
- 93 percent of customers surveyed “strongly agree” that the DCR agent understood the issue and was helpful in addressing needs with a friendly attitude.
- 38 surveys submitted requested a call back for further resolution; all were resolved successfully.
- Nearly 50 percent of those surveyed contacted DCR with questions about agent IDs.
Through the implementation of this survey, the DCR call center team has been able to identify and improve team knowledge in specific areas of rule and application support.
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Market and Economic Impact Study Update
By Dylan Roebuck, Policy Analyst, Office of Policy and Research
As part of DCR’s effort to determine the need to lift or ease license limits, DCR has contracted Cannabis Public Policy Consulting (CPPC) to conduct a market and economic impact study. Since being awarded a contract in June of 2025, CPPC has taken steps to provide an analysis of marijuana demand, market competition, and economic impacts across the state. As part of this work, CPPC anonymously surveyed Missouri marijuana licenses about their business activities in April. DCR sincerely thanks licensees for taking the time to collect their business data and for participating in this survey. The final report of the market and economic impact study is expected to be available at the end of this year.
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Quick Quarter News – a few DCR highlights in Quarter 2
By Erica Ziegler, Deputy Division Director
Article XIV Fund Transfers – Fiscal Year 26
In May, The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) completed its Fiscal Year 2026 constitutional fund transfers from the state’s medical and adult‑use marijuana programs. This year, $13 million in medical marijuana revenue was transferred to the Missouri Veterans Commission, bringing the program’s total contribution to nearly $66 million. Additionally, each of the three adult‑use beneficiaries — the Missouri Veterans Commission, Missouri State Public Defender, and substance use disorder treatment and recovery grant program — received $19.6 million, totaling $58.9 million for FY 2026 and $128.6 million transferred since the adult‑use program began.
Stay in the Green: Compliance Assistance Program (GreenCAP)
The Division of Cannabis Regulation (DCR) held its bi‑monthly learning sessions for licensees and their staff in April and June as part of the Stay in the Green: Compliance Assistance Program (GreenCAP). Launched in 2026 by the Section for Compliance and Enforcement, GreenCAP expands the division’s ongoing efforts to provide licensees with continuous compliance education, guidance, and best‑practice resources.
The bi‑monthly virtual learning sessions offer regulatory updates and guidance for Missouri’s cannabis licensees. Through GreenCAP, DCR aims to bring together compliance assistance efforts across DCR. Future GreenCAP opportunities will include individualized site visits tailored to licensees’ needs and online meetings to assist with compliance questions and support strong operational practices.
Together, GreenCAP advances DCR’s goal of helping licensees stay informed, supported, and consistently in compliance.
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DCR Attends CANNRA Stakeholder Conference
By Amy Moore, Division Director
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In June, DCR attended the Cannabis Regulators Association (CANNRA) Stakeholder Meeting, where regulators from state cannabis agencies and a wide variety of cannabis stakeholders met to discuss a range of topics. Participating from DCR were Amy Moore, Director, Tara McKinney, Public Outreach Director, and Dr. Rieka Yu, Director of Policy and Research. Panels and workshops during the meeting covered hemp and marijuana policy trends, the legal considerations in rescheduling medical marijuana and considerations for implementing the new federal medical marijuana registration program, and research on public education and consumer safety considerations for cannabis products. DCR Director Amy Moore led a panel discussing state and federal roles in enforcing cannabis policies and was also re-elected to serve another term on the CANNRA Executive Board along with fellow regulators from Michigan, Illinois, Connecticut, Hawaii, Iowa, Virginia, and Oklahoma. This year, CANNRA celebrated its fifth year as an organization. For more information about CANNRA and its important work, visit https://www.cann-ra.org/.
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Missouri Cannabis Regulation Collaborative (MCRC) Membership
By Tara McKinney, Public Outreach Director
The Missouri Cannabis Regulation Collaborative members will be completing their two-year term in December 2026. MCRC has proved valuable over the last two years. The collaborative represented all license types and regions in the state.
The relationships and collaboration with members have enhanced communication between DCR and the industry and provided valuable feedback and insights on various topics, leading to additional guidance and clarification for the entire industry.
To relieve members of their commitment and allow opportunity to other licensees a new membership application period will be open from July 6 to July 17.
For more information about MCRC and how to apply click the button below or contact Tara McKinney at tara.mckinney@health.mo.gov.
In Case You Missed It! DCR in the News.
This quarter's press releases:
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James Gaddis
Team Supervisor, Bureau of Business License Services
Hello, I’m James Gaddis and I joined the Division of Cannabis Regulation (DCR) in September 2024 as a Team Supervisor for the Bureau of Business Licensing Services, also known as BLS. In BLS, our main focus is verification of eligibility for licensure and processing business change applications. Lately, we’ve been hard at work assisting the Chief Equity Officer with outreach and training for those interested in applying for a license when the third Microbusiness application period opens.
Before joining DCR, I owned a construction company specializing in hard surface installation and renovations. Prior to self-employment, I served in law enforcement for over 13 years where I held every position except K9 handler. Before my law enforcement career, I was in the military as Security Forces. After the military, I earned degrees in Human Resources and Business Administration. I applied to DCR because it represented a brand-new industry in Missouri, and I felt this would be a great opportunity to be part of a rapidly changing environment that could affect the lives of Missourians every day. As an added bonus, the funds generated by cannabis supports the Missouri Veterans Commission. I find this to be an awesome bonus of working with DCR.
Outside of work, I enjoy watching my kiddos play ice and roller hockey. I’ve dived back into woodworking and while I’ve had to knock off the rust, it’s something I still really enjoy doing.
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Jamie Roe
Compliance District Manager Kansas City Region
I found my way to DHSS in 2012, after starting my career in the 5th Circuit Juvenile Office. I have 25 years of State service and a couple of years with Buchanan County. I have enjoyed working with a large spectrum of our community population during my career in public service.
In 2016, I took a role with Office of Special Investigations and in 2018, I was promoted to Regional Manager. In 2022, I moved over to the Medical Marijuana program and spent a year and a half as a KC Region Compliance Officer before moving into the Compliance District Manager position in June of 2023, with our transition into Division of Cannabis Regulation. My experience during my career has spanned from residential youth programs to field work, victim services, 5th Circuit CASA Director as well as investigations of abuse, neglect and exploitation of Missouri’s most vulnerable adults.
Outside of work, boredom could never hope to find me. I have more hobbies and ideas than I have time and energy. I have a passion for anything related to fiber arts (knitting, crocheting, felting, spinning my own yarn, weaving, embroidery, quilting...). I also love watercolor, making funky multi-media jewelry, gardening, preserving my own food, hiking and just spending out time watching nature.
My husband, JP and I, find our greatest joy in watching our daughter and son-in-law raise their children. Being grandparents and tagged in for the occasional assist is the best gift! They keep us young and fill our lives with wonder.
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Mitch Stossmeister
Investigations Unit Supervisor, Bureau of Investigations and Enforcement
Hello, I’m Mitch Stossmeister. I joined the Division of Cannabis Regulation in October 2023, beginning my career here as a Compliance Officer with the Bureau of Facility Compliance. In June 2024, I was promoted to Investigations Unit Supervisor, overseeing a team of four investigators. Together, we focus on investigating complaints involving inversion, diversion, and any threats to public health and safety within Missouri’s regulated cannabis program.
Before joining DCR, I served in law enforcement, following my military service in the United States Army. One of the factors that drew me to DCR was the agency’s role in generating additional funding for the Missouri Veterans Commission and expanding support for local veterans, something that continues to be deeply meaningful to me.
Outside of work, I enjoy training with my service dog, Piper, spending time with family, traveling to new places, and trying new foods. Whether exploring a new city or discovering a hidden local spot, I’m always up for an adventure.
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Check out our monthly podcast
to hear about what's happening
around DCR!
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Do you want to be a guest on DCR Out Loud?
This year, we’re excited to welcome licensees, stakeholders, and partner organizations to join us and share their insights. Please note that certain guidelines will apply.
Listen to this episode or email Tara.McKinney@health.mo.gov to learn more!
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