More than two years after a wide margin of voters approved a medical marijuana amendment to the Missouri Constitution, the state's medical marijuana system is still a work in progress, prompting impatience and criticism among observers and patients in the grass-roots cannabis community, along with the medical marijuana industry.

Hundreds of entrepreneurs sit on the sidelines as a select-few business owners begin to profit from Missouri’s blooming medical cannabis industry. Many worry the business license caps put in place by the Department of Health and Senior Services will cause higher-than-average pricing for patients purchasing at dispensaries.

A new college course gives people the chance to gain a competitive edge when applying for cannabis-related jobs. Even entry-level positions like a “budtender” may require some college training, a need that Jefferson College in the St. Louis area looks to fill for students.

CLOVR, A Kansas City-based medical marijuana manufacturer, is the first in the state to receive approval for operation by the Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS).

Missouri’s medical marijuana program director Lyndall Fraker says his agency will not issue regular reports on cannabis sales numbers, is not considering creating a new batch of licenses, is not likely to revoke licenses for facilities not operating by the mandated one year mark, and says lack of minority license ownership not a concern of Missouri’s program.