The clock is winding down for Missouri cannabis licensees to have compliant labels and packaging. Some Missouri cannabis business owners are scrambling to meet the Sept. 1 deadline. They say their label and packaging approval submissions are currently collecting dust with the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services' Division of Cannabis Regulation.
"There's just a frustration with how long it's taking and the process in general," said Nicholas Rinella, CEO of Hippos Cannabis. "I've spent a lot of my time over the last 18 months on packaging and recalls." Typically, submission processing takes 35 to 50 days, according to the Division of Cannabis Regulation.
But Rinella said his submissions have been pending for roughly four months, with no communication on what's holding them up. He's concerned that a potential backlog within the division might put his business at risk of noncompliance.
The division's resources are limited, Rinella said, and there were already "tens of thousands" of new product lines in the system. "That's a lot to filter through and review," he said.
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