“If individuals are in possession of marijuana and possess a valid and legal prescription we will uphold their constitutional rights and they will not be arrested,” wrote department spokeswoman Tracy Panus. “We will not arrest individuals based upon the assumption the marijuana was obtained illegally.”
The 192 approved dispensaries that were recently approved by the state are still months away from opening, with growing just getting started. The state’s top marijuana official, Lyndall Fraker, the Director of Medical Marijuana for the Department of Health and Senior Services, weighed-in on the legal situation medical marijuana patients in Missouri are dealing with. He wrote in a January 28 letter that he had been moved to explain the DHSS’ understanding of the issue “at the request of several law enforcement entities and legislators.”