Missouri State Parks is finalizing a new marijuana enforcement policy, that will not allow Missourians to smoke medicinal marijuana in state parks.
The policy is set for release next spring, in response to the medical marijuana ballot initiative voters approved in November 2018, said Connie Patterson, spokeswoman for the agency. The agency manages 91 parks and historic sites.
According to Patterson, unless Missouri law changes, campers with medical marijuana cards won’t be able to light up without the risk of being arrested.
“The possession would no longer be illegal with the card,” Patterson said of certified patients, including those with out-of-state certifications. But, “they can’t smoke the marijuana on a park bench.”
“We can’t answer hypotheticals,” Patterson said about other circumstances. “We would deal with this on a case-by-case basis, pursuant to the law. This is part of what we are still working through. We want the policy to address these nuances.
Currently around 22,000 Missourians have received medical marijuana patient cards.
