Missouri Transfers Nearly $59 Million in Adult-Use Marijuana Funds for Veterans, Public Defense and Drug Treatment
- Missouri completed Fiscal Year 2026 marijuana fund transfers, allocating tens of millions of dollars generated from both medical and adult-use programs to constitutionally designated agencies.
- The Department of Health and Senior Services transferred $13 million from the medical marijuana program to the Missouri Veterans Commission, totaling nearly $66 million since inception for veterans’ health and care services.
- For adult-use marijuana in FY 2026, DHSS transferred $19.6 million each to the Missouri Veterans Commission, Missouri State Public Defender, and itself for a drug addiction treatment grant program focused on evidence-based treatment and support services.
- Since the start of the programs, Missouri has allocated nearly $195 million from marijuana revenues to veterans services, public defense, and drug treatment initiatives across both medical and adult-use marijuana programs.
Missouri officials have completed the state’s Fiscal Year 2026 marijuana fund transfers, sending tens of millions of dollars generated through the state’s medical and adult-use marijuana programs to agencies designated under the Missouri Constitution.
The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) announced Thursday that it has fulfilled its constitutionally required responsibility to transfer funds from both programs, as authorized by the General Assembly.
For the state’s medical marijuana program, DHSS transferred $13 million to the Missouri Veterans Commission during Fiscal Year 2026. Under the constitutional amendment approved by voters in 2018, fees and taxes generated by the medical marijuana program, after operational expenses, are directed to the commission for health and care services for military veterans.
To date, Missouri’s medical marijuana program has generated $65,978,820 in transfers to the Missouri Veterans Commission.
Missouri voters legalized recreational marijuana in November 2022 through a separate constitutional amendment, which also established how adult-use marijuana revenues are distributed after program expenses.
For Fiscal Year 2026, DHSS transferred $19,629,271 each to three beneficiary agencies: the Missouri Veterans Commission, the Missouri State Public Defender and DHSS for a drug addiction treatment grant program.
The Missouri Veterans Commission is required to use the funds for health care and other services for military veterans and their dependent families. The Missouri State Public Defender must use its share solely for legal assistance for low-income Missourians.
DHSS’s portion is designated for a grant program intended to expand access to evidence-based, low-barrier drug addiction treatment, with a focus on medically proven treatment, overdose prevention and reversal methods, overdose prevention education, job placement, housing and counseling for people with substance use disorders.
In total, Missouri transferred $58,887,813 in adult-use marijuana funds during Fiscal Year 2026. Since the launch of the adult-use program, Missouri has transferred $128,613,859 in adult-use marijuana revenue to the designated agencies.
Combined with the medical marijuana transfers, Missouri’s legal marijuana programs have now directed nearly $195 million to veterans services, public defense and drug treatment programs.