New marijuana dispensary may replace Springfield Gettin' Basted location

Greta Cross, Springfield News-Leader
Updated ·8 min read

Nearly a year after recreational marijuana was legalized in Missouri, the first round of microbusiness licenses have been awarded throughout the state, including two in Springfield and Nixa.

The Missouri Division of Cannabis Regulation issued the state's first 48 marijuana microbusiness licenses Monday. Six licenses were awarded within each of the state's eight congressional districts. Per district, two licenses are for microbusiness dispensaries and four are for microbusiness wholesale facilities.

In the 7th District, which represents the southwest corner of the state, High Aroma LLC in Springfield and Zach Hall LLC in Joplin were awarded microbusiness dispensary licenses. With this type of license, these entities can process, package, deliver and sell marijuana and marijuana products to other microbusiness facilities and consumers.

Per the Department of Health and Senior Services, the address listed on the application for High Aroma LLC is 3242 S. Stewart Ave., which is where the Springfield Gettin' Basted restaurant is located.

Gettin' Basted owner Brad Leighninger told the News-Leader that no, he's not entering the marijuana industry. Rather, the landlord of the building at 3242 S. Stewart Ave. is looking for a new tenant.

The building at 3242 S. Stewart Ave. was listed for rent on LoopNet by SVN Rankin Company in March. SVN Rankin Company Broker Lee McLean told the News-Leader that the building is under contract with a new tenant who has proposed using it for a marijuana dispensary. The News-Leader was unable to get in contact with this new tenant by press deadline.

Leighninger said the Gettin' Basted lease ends in 2025. However, Gettin' Basted may vacate the building earlier. Leighninger said the restaurant would reopen in a different Springfield location, if this were the case.

As for the location of 3242 S. Stewart Ave., just because this address was listed on High Aroma LLC's application, doesn't actually mean the dispensary must operate there. As long as High Aroma LLC remains in the 7th District, it can be built or housed elsewhere, Department of Health and Senior Services Communications Director Lisa Cox said.

All marijuana microbusiness applicants had to provide proposed facility locations, however, and these locations had to comply with location requirements outlined in the Missouri Constitution. Applicants also had to submit proposed blueprints of the entire facility.

Due to the short turnaround time the department had to process microbusiness applications (Aug. 10 through Oct. 2), Cox said as long as the proposed buildings were not in a residential neighborhood or by an educational institution, they were likely approved for eligibility.

Springfield address listed on 50+ applications

In addition to High Aroma LLC's address being associated with an already-established business, 3242 S. Stewart Ave. was listed on more than 50 different applications submitted for marijuana microbusiness dispensary licenses in the 7th District. This was common throughout the entire state, with many applications bearing the same addresses.

Individuals were only allowed to submit one application, Cox said, and if multiple applications did contain the same individual, they were denied. However, if business partners wished to work together, each submitting their own application but using the same address, this was allowed. Cox told the News-Leader she is unsure of the details related to the Springfield address.

Wholesale facility awarded in Nixa

Route 66 Holdings LLC in Nixa, Ozark Mountain Gypsy in Aurora, Microcultivator Applicant 2023 LLC in Jane and Mizzou MicroApp Operations LLC in Jane were awarded microbusiness wholesale facility licenses. With this type of license, these four entities can grow up to 250 flowering plants and then process, manufacturer and transport the products.

Per the Department of Health and Senior Services, the address listed on the application for Route 66 Holdings LLC is 1280 N. Gregg Road in Nixa. This address is for an open field located behind CBS Cabinets, Mel's Motors and Black Widow Bows along Eaglecrest Street.

The 48 microbusiness licenses were selected by a random lottery from over 1,600 applications received between the July 27 through Aug. 10 application period, according to a Department of Health and Senior Services news release.

To ensure the "integrity" of the random drawing, the Missouri Lottery conducted the drawing without reference to the identities of the applicants, according to the news release. Following the Missouri Lottery's drawing, the Division of Cannabis Regulation conducted reviews of each drawn application to determine eligibility.

Now what?

Following the distribution of the 48 marijuana microbusiness licenses, each license holder will undergo a standards review process to finalize eligibility.

As for opening doors, Cox said marijuana microbusiness license holders will need to be in operation within two years of their business license issuance.

Applicants who were not chosen in this first lottery may request a refund of their application fees. Refund requests will be accepted starting on Nov. 2. Each applicant had to pay a $1,500 application fee.

If an applicant was chosen in this first lottery but was deemed ineligible, the applicant cannot request a refund, Cox said.

Additional marijuana microbusiness licenses will be issued through the same application and lottery process in 2024 and 2025. By April 2025, 144 total microbusiness licenses should be awarded.

Who is eligible for a marijuana microbusiness license?

A microbusiness license applicant must meet at least one of the following criteria to be eligible:

  • Have a net worth less than $250,000 and an income below 250% of the federal poverty level;

  • Have a valid service-connected disability card issued by the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs;

  • Is someone who has been, or whose parent or guardian has been arrested, prosecuted or convicted of a non-violent marijuana offense;

  • Resides in a ZIP code or census tract where 30% or more of the population lives below the federal poverty level, the unemployment rate is 50% higher than the state average or the historic rate of incarceration for marijuana-related offenses is 50% higher than the state average; or

  • Graduated from an unaccredited school district or lived in a ZIP code with an unaccredited school.

More: Marijuana microbusiness license applications open next month. Are you eligible?

Who received the remaining marijuana microbusiness licenses?

District 1 Dispensaries

  • Ever Eco LLC at 5409 Bulwer Ave. in St. Louis

  • N&M&R Enterprise LLC at 1020 Meadowlark Drive in St. Louis

District 1 Wholesale Facilities

  • Bahiya Blooms LLC at 4548 Gravois Ave. in St. Louis

  • Revive Roots LLC at 2675 Washington Ave. in St. Louis

  • Deer Owl Family Farms Inc. in the Bellefontaine neighborhood in St. Louis (no address was provided)

  • Byepolar Thymez LLC at 1111 Belgrove Drive in St. Louis

District 2 Dispensaries

  • The Joke Smoke SE LLC at 1717 W. Fifth St. in Eureka

  • Seashore Rhythm LLC at 575 Jeffco Boulevard in Arnold

District 2 Wholesale Facilities

  • New Horizons Farms Investments LLC at 303 E. Hoffmeister Ave in St. Louis

  • Erico Enterprises LLC at 3125 Cliff Drive in Arnold

  • Norvette Chavis at 12158 Natural Bridge Road in Bridgeton

  • Drawny Industries LLC at 2906 Ossenfort Road in Wildwood

District 3 Dispensaries

  • Fly-Hi LLC at 1778 N. Mall Parkway in Wentzville

  • Individual at 1658 S. Highway W in Elsberry

District 3 Wholesale Facilities

  • JRS Industries LLC at 1664 S. Highway W in Elsberry

  • TEB Industries LLC at 1664 S. Highway W in Elsberry

  • KG Missouri #8 LLC at 1140 Huber St. in Festus

  • Vandiver-Thomas Enterprises at 22043 Lix Road in Warrenton

District 4 Dispensaries

  • Frankenstein Enemy LLC at 700 Vandiver Drive in Columbia

  • Cannarooted LLC at 206 E. Texas Ave. in Columbia

District 4 Wholesale Facilities

  • Strainworx LLC at 22802 Highway N in Lebanon

  • Blume LLC at 28613 SSR-T in Garden City

  • Missouri's Finest at 7000A NW State Route 18 in Adrain

  • Brayan Hernandez at 225 SW 1451st Road in Holden

District 5 Dispensaries

  • Potluck THC LLC at 410 Archibald Ave. in Kansas City

  • Independence Dispensary LLC at 13621 E. US Highway 40 in Independence

District 5 Wholesale Facilities

  • Higher Love KC LLC at 5900 Troost Ave in Kansas City

  • Tango Hotel Charlie at 13830 S. US Highway 41 in Grandview

  • Vine Street Collective LLC at 2000 Vine St. in Kansas City

  • MO-F11 LLC at 923 State Line Road in Kansa City

District 6 Dispensaries

  • James Robert Poe II at 5150 NW Waukomis Drive in Northmoor

  • The Herbal Home LLC at 4929 NW Old Pike Road in Gladstone

District 6 Wholesale Facilities

  • Smugglers Din at 131 Main St. in Rothville

  • Storms Enterprise at 33985 E. State Highway 146 in Gilman City

  • Lea Yohe Cannabis Micro Grow at 14313 Monroe Road 921 in Madison

  • Austin Montee at 2424 Saint Joseph Ave. in Saint Joseph

District 8 Dispensaries

  • Sebhatu LLC at 1980 State Street in Poplar Bluff

  • Green4Cure LLC at 77 S. Plaza Way in Cape Girardeau

District 8 Wholesale Facilities

  • Garrett Endeavors LLC at 11530 Twitty Drive in Rolla

  • Micro Alpha at 3458 Hildebrecht Road in Doe Run

  • Dirt Road Dank LLC at 10388 Old Sand Road in Dexter

  • LS Gardens at 18343 Highway H in Houston

Greta Cross is the trending topics reporter for the Springfield News-Leader. Follow her on X and Instagram @gretacrossphoto. Story idea? Email her at gcross@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Marijuana microbusiness licenses awarded in Springfield, Nixa