ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. – Efforts to ban recreational marijuana sales in two St. Louis suburbs, Des Peres and Olivette, fall short of voter support needed for approval, according to St. Louis County’s preliminary general election results.
When voters approved to legalize recreational marijuana through the Missouri Constitution in 2022, it came with a provision that could allow local municipalities to vote on whether to ban recreational sales in the November election for presidential election years.
That prompted propositions for voters in the jurisdictions of Des Peres and Olivette to decide whether to “ban all non-medical microbusiness dispensary facilities and comprehensive marijuana dispensary facilities” and forgo any potential tax revenue.
According to unofficial election results in St. Louis County, a majority of voters in Olivette (53.14%) approved of such a change, while a majority of voters in Des Peres rejected such a change (45.51% in favor).
That said, the constitutional provision states that municipalities needed at least 60% approval from voters to enact a ban on recreational marijuana sales. Voters fell short of that mark in both Des Peres and Olivette.
As a result, recreational marijuana sales through licensed Missouri facilities remain legal in both Olivette and Des Peres. Olivette does not have a licensed Missouri dispensary, while Des Peres only has one, according to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.
For a closer look at recreational marijuana provisions through Missouri’s constitution, click here.