On Feb. 3, 2023, the sale of recreational marijuana became legal in Missouri. This follows the decision made by several other states, such as Colorado, California, and Washington. 

During the November 8th midterm elections, Missouri voted 53-47 to legalize cannabis use for recreational purposes. This made it possible for adults over 21 to use marijuana as they please and for dispensaries to sell marijuana.

Customers are limited to purchasing only three ounces per transaction, and they are required to have a valid form of identification. That said, you are only allowed to carry three ounces of marijuana at a time lawfully. 

Furthermore, since marijuana is still illegal federally, most dispensaries are cash only. Most financial institutions do not want to be associated with the cannabis industry, so they don’t allow dispensaries to use their direct deposit payment options. 

However, for Missouri Southern students, we still face restrictions. Missouri Southern remains a drug and alcohol-free campus. This prohibits the use, possession, and distribution of drugs such as marijuana by students, staff, or faculty.

Additionally, for student-athletes, marijuana is still an NCAA-banned substance. If found within your system, you can face a loss in eligibility and be subjected to further drug testing at any time. There are still repercussions in place for drug possession on campus as well. According to the student handbook, drug or alcohol-related offenses can result in criminal prosecution.

To combat this, MSSU does offer counseling services for substance abuse. These trainings provide information on healthy behaviors with substances and how to use them responsibly. For more information, please visit mssu.edu/substanceabuse.