If you’ve received your medical marijuana license, then you should know that you’re allowed to purchase up to four ounces of dried cannabis per month*. This limit is straightforward if you’re just planning on purchasing flower. But, it gets more complex if you plan on purchasing concentrates or infused products.
How many ounces of dried cannabis are in a tincture/oil or edible?
Thankfully, the state has published a conversion chart to help us compare apples to apples. In this case, they are called Missouri Marijuana Equivalency Units. This chart can be used to convert cannabis products to MMEs.
You can download a wallet-sized version of this chart through the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.
How will you know if your purchase is within the legal limit?
It’s your dispensary’s responsibility to communicate your purchase amounts with the state’s tracking system, METRC. Dispensaries will work with METRC to ensure that you do not exceed your purchase limits for any 30-day period. You don’t need to worry about accidentally purchasing more than 32 MMEs per month as your dispensary will prohibit you from purchasing more than this amount.
However, in addition to setting a limit of how much product you can purchase in a 30-day period, the state also sets limits on how much product you can have on hand at any given time. For this reason, we recommend keeping track of how many MMEs you have in your possession.
The average patient can possess a two-month supply of cannabis, which translates to 8 ounces of dried flower or 64 MMEs. Patients with a cultivator license can possess a three-month supply of cannabis, which translates to 12 ounces of dried flower or 96 MMEs.
Patients with caregivers
Patients with a caregiver cultivating on their behalf are also allowed to possess a three-month supply of cannabis. In this case, possession can be shared between the caregiver and the patient. For instance, a caregiver cultivating on behalf of a patient may possess 48 MMEs and the patient may possess another 48 MMEs. Any combination is considered compliant if the total shared amount of product doesn’t exceed 96 MMEs (12 ounces). It’s also important to note that patients being provided MMEs by their caregiver are not subject to purchase limits. Patients under the care of a caregiver are not purchasing marijuana. Rather, they are purchasing the service of cultivation and processing.
Making your own cannabis products
If you’re planning on making your own concentrates or edibles from flower that you purchase or grow yourself, we recommend labelling your product with the volume or weight and corresponding MMEs in case of a home inspection (for those with cultivator licenses) or a challenge by law enforcement (especially if you plan on transporting home-made edibles).
For more information on MMEs or how to obtain your medical marijuana card, check out the state’s medical marijuana handbook.
*Some patients may be allowed to purchase more than this limit if certified by two physicians: https://health.mo.gov/safety/medical-marijuana/pdf/physician-certification-form-alternative.pdf
