Missouri’s Cannabis Rebate That Never Happened

When Missouri was debating recreational cannabis legalization, the conversations happening in kitchens, workplaces, and checkout lines all sounded the same. My own husband told me and he wasn’t alone  that Missourians would get a yearly kickback, similar to the way Alaskans receive an annual oil dividend.

People genuinely believed this.
People voted based on this.
And for many families, the idea of a yearly check felt like real relief.

I remember hearing it everywhere:
“Missouri will finally give something back to taxpayers.”
“Cannabis sales will be huge  we’ll all get a piece of it.”
“Just like Alaska. It’s about time.”

But here we are, years later, with record‑breaking cannabis sales some of the highest in the nation  and not a single Missourian has received a penny.

So what happened?
Where did the idea come from?
And where is all that money actually going?

Let’s break it down.

 

The Cannabis Rebate That Never Was in Missouri

The Promise People Heard But Was Never in the Ballot

The 2022 ballot measure, Amendment 3, never included a resident rebate, dividend, or yearly payout.
Not one line.

But the public messaging around it told a different story.

Supporters talked about:

  • “Reinvesting cannabis revenue back into Missouri communities”
  • “Money staying in Missouri instead of the black market”
  • “Missourians benefiting directly from legalization”

To everyday voters, that sounded like a rebate.
It sounded like a dividend.
It sounded like Alaska.

And when you combine that with the word “reinvestment” which appeared in the amendment  it’s easy to see why people believed the money would come back to them.

The Reality: Where the Money Actually Goes

Missouri’s cannabis revenue is real, and it’s enormous.
But it’s routed into government programs, not residents’ pockets.

After administrative costs, the money goes to:

  • Veterans’ healthcare
  • Drug treatment and overdose prevention
  • The Missouri State Public Defender System
  • Expungement costs

These are important causes  but they are not household rebates, and they were never designed to be.

 

The Tax‑Stacking Confusion

Another twist added to the misunderstanding.

For a while, cities and counties were both charging the 3% local cannabis tax stacking it to 6% on top of the 6% state tax.

In 2025, the Missouri Supreme Court ruled this illegal.

When the ruling came down, some people thought:

“This must be the rebate we were promised.”

But it wasn’t.
It simply stopped an unlawful overcharge at the register.

No checks.
No refunds.
Just lower prices going forward.

 

The Biggest Question: With Sales This High, Why No Benefit to Residents?

Missouri’s cannabis market exploded far beyond early projections:

  • Over $255 million in tax revenue in 2025 alone
  • More than $4 billion in total sales since legalization

With numbers like that, it’s natural for Missourians to ask:

  • Why isn’t any of this coming back to taxpayers?
  • Why did so many people believe it would?
  • And should Missouri consider a true dividend model in the future?

These are fair questions and ones our lawmakers should have to answer.

 

Final Thought

Missourians didn’t imagine the promise of a cannabis rebate.
It was talked about.
It was repeated.
It spread through communities because people believed the revenue would finally benefit the people who live here.

But the truth is simple:
The rebate was never written into the law.
And unless the law changes, it never will be.

Missouri has one of the strongest cannabis markets in the country.
The money is flowing  just not to the people who were told they’d see it.

Maybe it’s time to ask why.