ST. LOUIS – Proponents want Missourians to consider how recreational cannabis can benefit the Show Me State if it passes statewide. Many signs off Chippewa Street in the Lindenwood Park neighborhood show support for Amendment 3.

“We estimate about $40 million in revenue to be taxed here at the statewide,” said Tom Bommarito with Green Light Medical Marijuana Dispensary. “Then there’s also an opportunity for local municipalities to do the same thing with another three percent tax, and they can use as well. Illinois right now is doing great. We have customers leaving every day to go over to Illinois. About $30 million a month is being spent in Illinois, and we need to stop that and have it spent here.”

Bommarito said there are 200,000 people in the system with medical marijuana cards, but opening it up to the six million Missouri residents could mean more revenue.

He has four stores located in Ferguson, Berkley, Baden, and St. Louis City.

Alderwoman Megan Green of the 15th Ward showed her support Wednesday for states that have benefited from passing recreational sales.

“This makes sense from a criminal justice standpoint and from an economic standpoint,” Green said. “Beyond the $40 million in taxes that we anticipate will be raised at a state level, it also gives the authority for local municipalities to enact a three percent local sales tax. That’s tax revenue that the city of St. Louis can use for a variety of different things, to improve the lives of residents in our city.”

Legal Missouri 2022 said part of the amendment will remove non-violent past marijuana offenses. The group said Missouri will be the first state in the country to pass automatic expungement by a vote of the people.

And the revenue?

“Then it’s divided equally between services for Missouri veterans for healthcare services for them, drug abuse prevention and treatment programs, and finally the state’s underfunded public defender system,” said John Payne, a campaign manager for Legal Missouri 2022.