Frequently Asked Questions
1. How can I join or support Greater St. Louis NORML?
See our membership page to join or donate to Greater St. Louis NORML. Read more about how to get involved. You can also support us by patronizing the businesses, lawyers, and organizations that sponsor us.
2. How can I find a lawyer?
See our sponsors page. We are constantly adding to our list of NORML lawyers who specialize in criminal defense of individuals charged with drug law violations.
3. Is recreational cannabis (marijuana) legal in Missouri?
Possession, distribution, cultivation or using cannabis for any reason is not legal in Missouri at this time. Greater St. Louis NORML is fighting hard to change the laws in Missouri by partnering with activist organizations, legislators and individuals like you. Legal Missouri 2022 PAC has been approved to circulate an adult-use cannabis initiative which will be gathering signatures to get on the November 8, 2022 ballot. This initiative allow possession, home cultivation, and expungement of past marijuana felonies and misdemeanors. Read the initiative petition for more information here.
4. Is medical marijuana available in Missouri?
Medical cannabis is legal and available for individuals who have been certified by a licensed Missouri physician, and you are approved by the state of Missouri to carry a medical patient ID card.
In 2018, Missouri passed Amendment 2, which was codified into the Missouri Constitution as Article XIV allowing the use of marijuana for medical purposes. On October 17, 2020 the first dispensary sales began. Missouri will have 192 dispensaries across the state, 24 dispensaries in each of the eight congressional districts. Purchase limits are four ounces per month. A $25.00 fee is required to obtain a medical cannabis ID card. You may possess a two-month supply. Personal cultivation is allowed with a $100 cultivation card to grow six flowering plants, six vegetative plants, and six clones or seedlings under 14 inches. More information is available here.
5. Where can I find a Missouri physician to recommend medical marijuana?
Only licensed physicians in Missouri may issue a written recommendation to a patient to use medical marijuana. NORML does not maintain a list of doctors, but if you attend one of our monthly chapter meetings, or a NORML event, someone would be happy to help you locate a doctor.
6. What are the penalties for possession of cannabis in Missouri?
| Amount | Charge | Sentence | Fine |
| 10 g or Less | Class D Misdemeanor | No Jail Time | $250 to $ 1,000 |
| 11 g – 35 g | Misdemeanor | 1 year | $ 1,000 |
| 35 g – 30 kg | Felony | 1 year | $ 5,000 |
| More than 30 – less than 100 kg | Felony | 5 – 15 years | $ 20,000 |
| 100 kg or more | Felony | 10 years – life | $ 20,000 |
g = grams kg = kilograms
7. What are the penalties for trafficking or distribution of cannabis in Missouri?
| Amount | Charge | Sentence | Fine |
| Less than 5 g | Felony | 7 years | $ 5,000 |
| 5 g – 30 kg | Felony | 5 – 15 years | $ 20,000 |
| More than 30 – less than 100 kg | Felony | 5 – 15 years | $ 20,000 |
| 100 kg or more | Felony | 10 years – life* | $ 20,000 |
| 500 plants or more | Felony | 10 years – life* | $ 20,000 |
| Within 2000 feet of a school or 1000 feet of public housing | Felony | 10 years – life | $ 20,000 |
| To a minor | Felony | 5 – 15 years | $ 20,000 |
| * No probation or parole | |||
g = grams kg = kilograms
8. Has Missouri changed its laws about possession of Marijuana?
Legislation was approved in 2014 to rewrite Missouri’s criminal code that includes provisions reducing marijuana possession penalties. This new law will become effective January 1, 2017. The possession of ten grams or less of cannabis will be punishable by a fine only and the offense will remain classified as a criminal Class D Misdemeanor. The possession of greater quantities of cannabis will remain punishable by jail time. The changes to the Missouri criminal code are now in effect.
The residents of St. Louis City, Columbia and Kansas City have special city ordinances which treat small amounts of cannabis possession as a non-arrestable criminal misdemeanor offense for first-time offenders. Kansas City voters passed their decriminalization initiative by more than 73% in April 2017.
In 2010, Missouri police made nearly 18,500 criminal arrests for marijuana possession offenses, one of the highest totals in the nation. Missouri remains as one of the states with the most aggressive penalties for cannabis violations in the nation.
9. How can I find a Missouri NORML chapter, or start one?
See a list of Missouri NORML chapters at the National NORML website here.
See information on forming a chapter here.
Contact Greater St. Louis NORML for more information or attend one of our meetings.