JEFFERSON CITY—The Missouri Department of Health & Senior Services (DHSS) has announced that the state will complete retroactive fingerprint-based background checks for roughly 16,000 employees and volunteers in the cannabis industry who did not originally submit prints between late 2022 and 2024.
Background & Scope
Under the state’s regulatory structure, individuals working in the regulated cannabis space—including those holding an “agent ID badge” issued by the Missouri Division of Cannabis Regulation (DCR)—are required to undergo FBI-based fingerprint background checks for disqualifying offenses.
However, there was a gap: between December 8, 2022, and December 1, 2024, a sizeable cohort of badge-holders were not required at the time to submit fingerprint sets. That period created a backlog of roughly 16,000 individuals who now must comply.
Why Now and What It Means
In its announcement, DHSS said the requirement will resume and be enforced starting February 2025. The retroactive check program is being framed as a public-safety and regulatory-integrity measure: the state aims to ensure that all personnel in the industry are vetted under the same standard, regardless of when they began work.
One regulatory expert notes the shift reflects broader trends in the cannabis sector: “States are increasingly requiring full fingerprint-based checks for all industry personnel, not just owners or executives.” The Missouri program aligns with that.
Implementation & Timeline
According to reporting by the Missouri Independent, regulators are already “halfway through” the process of contacting and obtaining prints from the 16,000 people affected. DCR guidance indicates that notices will be sent in batches, starting in the fall of 2025, and that individuals must comply or risk suspension of badge/agent privileges.
In practical terms, the flattened timeline looks like this:
- Fall 2025 – Notices sent to badge‐holders required to submit fingerprints.
- February 2025 – Official resumption of the requirement for all active agent ID badge‐holders.
- Throughout 2025 – Processing of prints, vetting of any disqualifying offenses, and issuance of final clearance or enforcement action.
Industry Impact & Reaction
For workers and volunteers in Missouri’s cannabis industry, this effort means added administrative burden. Employers must ensure their agents submit prints, track compliance, and may face disruptions if badge‐holders are held up in processing. Some smaller operators have this concern: delays in processing could mean key staff unable to perform regulated functions.
From a regulatory perspective, the move is intended to raise the bar of compliance and reduce risk — for the state, for licensees, and for adjacent stakeholders like finance, banking, and public safety. Earlier, background-check provider commentary had stated that Missouri’s shift to expanded fingerprint checks “will also allow the state to share the results … with banks based in Missouri to expand access to services for the cannabis sector.”
Challenges & Risks
Potential bottlenecks include fingerprint-processing delays, mismatches or outdated records in the FBI system, and possible pushback from individuals who believed their badge issuance was final without prints. Additionally, employers will face the task of tracking who has complied and who remains outstanding — a risk if a key person’s badge is suspended.
Looking Ahead
By year-end 2025, Missouri aims to have cleared the backlog and be operating on a standard, forward-looking basis — meaning no badge‐holder eligible for submission escapes fingerprinting. The state’s website reiterates: “Following the FBI’s approval of the department’s statutory authority … DCR will begin requiring fingerprint submissions for active agent ID cardholders … who were not required to submit fingerprints at time of application.”
For the industry, the rollout presents both a compliance hurdle and an opportunity: those operators who stay ahead of the requirement may gain a reputational edge in a sector increasingly under scrutiny.