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Independence Matters: Why Missouri Health & Wellness Stands Apart
by MHW Dispensary | October 26, 2025
Missouri’s cannabis industry is thriving, with dispensaries opening at a rapid pace to meet the growing demand for medical and recreational cannabis. However, not all dispensaries operate with the same priorities. While many are tied to large corporate entities that prioritize profit over putting the best product in customers hands. Missouri Health & Wellness (MHW) remains proudly independent. As an independently owned dispensary, MHW focuses on unbiased product selection and fair pricing. Unlike corporate-owned dispensaries, which often push their in-house brands regardless of quality, MHW prioritizes customer needs. By remaining free of large corporate influence, MHW offers patients access to a wide variety of cannabis products, ensuring quality, transparency, and value. Over the past few years, Missouri’s cannabis market has seen significant corporate consolidation. An example of this trend is Proper Brands’ $397 million merger with Vireo Growth Inc. While mergers like these can help companies expand their footprint and resources, they also raise concerns about the influence of corporate ownership on product offerings and pricing. Corporate dispensaries often prioritize their own brands or products, even when better options are available. This practice can limit consumer choice and result in higher prices, as corporate entities focus on maximizing profits rather than meeting the needs of patients and consumers. In some cases, these dispensaries inflate the prices of in-house products to boost margins, creating a financial burden for customers. The presence of corporate dispensaries may also stifle competition, making it harder for independent dispensaries to thrive. However, despite these challenges, independent operators like MHW are standing strong by offering a customer-first approach that puts quality and value above all else. Missouri Health & Wellness operates with a mission that starkly contrasts with the strategies of corporate-owned dispensaries. Independence allows MHW to prioritize the needs of patients and customers without the influence of external stakeholders. Every product on our shelves is selected based on its quality, effectiveness, and value, rather than corporate contracts or promotional deals. At MHW, fairness and transparency are core values. We work directly with trusted suppliers to maintain competitive pricing. Customers can trust that the products they purchase are chosen with care, reflecting MHW’s commitment to serving the best interests of the community. Another critical distinction is MHW’s dedication to supporting local cannabis producers. By collaborating with Missouri-based growers and manufacturers, MHW ensures that their product offerings are not only top-tier but also contribute to the local economy. This approach fosters a sense of community and trust, which is often missing in the corporate-driven dispensary model.The Rise of Corporate-Owned Cannabis Dispensaries
What Sets MHW Apart from Corporate-Owned Dispensaries
Bekas Story Part 1
Imagine being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis at the age of 14. Beka, now 35 and married with a fur-baby named Ryder, was in her 8th grade art class in 2001 when she started experiencing double-vision and was having trouble holding her pencil. Uncertain of what was happening, she asked to be excused to go to the bathroom and was having trouble walking so she had to cling to the wall to hold herself up. Unable to shake what was a going on she went to the school nurse and her family immediately took her to the hospital. After a barrage of tests and a brain scan that showed numerous lesions, she and her family were told she had brain tumors and was going to die.
Her family wasn’t willing to accept that diagnosis and took her to another hospital where more doctors ran more tests and after 5 days Beka was finally diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. Her brain scans showed over 20 lesions at age 14.
Life for Beka and her family changed in an instant! They were faced with the reality that their little girl was going to need on-going care, so her mom changed professions to dedicate more time to her daughter. As they looked back at different incidents when Beka was younger, they realized there were symptoms some number of years prior to her actual diagnosis. It is very rare for someone so young to be diagnosed with this disease. Sorare, that a case study was published in 2001 about her Ring-Enhancing Lesions in Child (Journal of Child Neurology, Volume 17, Number 1, January 2002).
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disease that impacts the brain and spinal cord which make up the central nervous system and controls everything we do. The exact cause of MS is unknown, but we do know that something triggers the immune system to attack the brain and spinal cord. The resulting damage to myelin, the protective layer insulating wire-like nerve fibers, disrupts signals to and from the brain. This interruption of communication signals causes unpredictable symptoms such as numbness, tingling, mood changes, memory problems, pain, fatigue, blindness and/or paralysis. (nationalmssociety.org)
At age 14, Beka’s life-long journey with this disease had just begun. Read more about her Canna-Story in next month’s newsletter.
Medical decisions should not be made based on advertising. Consult a physician on the benefits and risks of particular medical marijuana products.
The information, including but not limited to, text, graphics, images and other material contained in this Patient story is for informational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment and before undertaking a new health care regimen, and never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you read in this Patient story [OR ON MHW’S WEBSITE]. Missouri Health & Wellness, LLC makes no representation and assumes no responsibility for the accuracy of information contained in this story [OR ON MHW’S WEBSITE] and if you choose to rely on any information provided by Missouri Health & Wellness, LLC (MHW), you do so solely at your own risk.
MHW
October 26, 2025
Medical Marijuana & Gun Rights in Missouri
Second Amendment Preservation Act
I’m sure you’ve heard it by now- “I’m not getting my medical marijuana license because I don’t want to lose my gun rights.” This is one if not the most common reason many Missouri residents are hesitant to apply for their medical marijuana licenses. There is so much information out there between laws, articles, rules, regulations, social media, and everything in between it can become overwhelming trying to find credible information. We want to help untangle some of the misconceptions. Let’s start with what we know to be true:
Truth #1: Medical Marijuana is legal for card holders in MO per constitutional amendment 2 Article XIV Section1.
Truth #2: Marijuana is unfortunately still illegal in all forms at the federal level.
Truth #3: The 10th Amendment to the American Constitution delegates police powers to the state- legal marijuana at the state level is a direct result of this amendment
Truth #4: Missouri passed an emergency clause early this summer protecting the gun rights of medical marijuana patients. The bill, “Declares that laws, rules, orders, or other actions that collect data, restrict or prohibit the manufacture, ownership, and use of firearms, firearm accessories, or ammunition exclusively within THIS STATE exceed the powers granted to the federal government except to the extent they are necessary.”
So what does all of that jargon mean for you, a Missouri resident and likely a Missouri Medical Marijuana patient? Bottom line, when it comes to Missouri residents, Medical Marijuana patients will NOT be denied their right to PURCHASE or POSSESS firearms. Please always consult a lawyer for any legal advice.
Written by Hayley Escobar-Petersen
References:
https://governor.mo.gov/press-releases/archive/governor-parson-signs-hb-85-establishing-second-amendment-preservation-act
MHW
October 26, 2025
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