PLATTE CITY, Mo. — A new door will soon open for Jimi Poe. He’s renovating a storefront at a Platte City, Missouri, strip center into a marijuana dispensary.
The move comes about 18 years after a prison door closed on Poe. He was sentenced to 14 months in prison in 2006 for selling marijuana.
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“I’ve been doing nothing since 2006 but trying to hide that cannabis crime and conviction because when people find out you have a felony on your record, they look at you completely different,” Poe said.
Even after getting the conviction expunged, Poe’s previous non-violent conviction made him eligible for Missouri’s microbusiness program.
The program levels the playing field for “little guys” who want to enter the legal marijuana industry. In 2023, the state awarded 48 licenses. It’s accepting applications for round two of licenses until 11:59 p.m. today. Next year, it will issue another 48 licenses in round three.
Applicants must meet one of five eligibility criteria to apply:
Been convicted of a non-violent marijuana offenseBe a disabled veteranHave a net worth of $250,000 or less and have an annual income of less than 250% of the federal poverty level which
