Greenway recently spoke with Missouri Chief Capital Officer Abby Vivas about the future of marijuana small business licenses in Missouri.
In the conversation, Vivas highlighted the progress and challenges of balancing efforts to support licensees by encouraging and educating more potential licensees to apply.
Mr. Vivas, whose office is at the forefront of these efforts, emphasized the importance of community engagement and outreach. “Our main focus is on potential applicants, especially as next month’s application period approaches. Making sure people have information about the process and the application period,” she said, adding: He highlighted the department's efforts to spread awareness and knowledge about the microbusiness license application process and discuss ongoing outreach and educational forums across the state.
However, Vivas also noted that support from community and industry partners is essential to improving education. He noted the development of new application tools and resources to assist applicants, and a proactive approach to addressing feedback from previous licensing rounds. “We conducted a survey of all applicants after the application period closed, asking questions such as what resources they use, such as websites, whether they participate in outreach events, and what they think about the application. And we conducted that research and came up with something actionable.'' Vivas explained that this research led to changes to the application process and the creation of additional resources, including tutorials. . In addition to her research, she said forum interactions created the backbone and foundation for many of the questions in the online FAQ. “This will help us direct some of the resources we're going to add to the website.”
These resources include application tutorial videos, tutorials on eligibility criteria including finding a congressional district, new tools designed to help individuals find their census tract, and unemployment or poverty information based on zip code. Contains resources for reviewing. In addition, Vivas and the DCR team have updated their guidance to ensure that interested licensees, applicants, and potential applicants stay informed, including a new email newsletter about updates and events. Create multiple resources.
Looking ahead, Vivas discussed its ongoing efforts and future plans to support both licensees and applicants. “We’re really looking forward to seeing what kind of support we can provide our licensees and potential applicants with the operations and training of these small businesses,” Bivas said, adding that the cannabis sector Suggested the firm's approach to fostering the growth and sustainability of microenterprises. sector.
Although no formal announcement has been made, Vivas said future in-person meetings for microbusiness licensees will be held to brief medical cannabis licensees on licensing, compliance, and interactions with regulators. He indicated that he plans to cover many points. Immediately after the license was awarded, a mandatory meeting for licensees was held in March 2020.
Vivas also openly addressed the complexities of the licensing process, including considerations for future licensing rounds and the possibility of existing micro-enterprises moving to blanket licensing.
He discussed revised eligibility criteria, including revised postal code information and updated datasets, and how those changes may impact some applicants. This openness to policy and regulatory complexity provides transparency into the state's deliberative process to foster an equitable cannabis industry.
As Missouri looks forward to another round of small business licenses, Vivas' insights provide valuable context on the state's commitment to fairness and transparency. Ongoing dialogue between the state and stakeholders, and iterative improvements to the licensing process, will lead to a collaborative effort to ensure Missouri's cannabis industry is inclusive and accessible to all aspiring entrepreneurs. It reflects our efforts.
