KANSAS. [CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY KMBC] LARA: LONG LINES OF CUSTOMERS WAITING TO BUY RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA. THIS IS THE SCENE IN MUCH OF MISSOURI, NOW THE LATEST STATE TO LEGALLY SELL WEED. GOOD EVENING, EVERYBODY. I’M LARA MORITZ. KRIS: AND I’M KRIS KETZ. THE STATE BEGAN APPROVING LICENSES A FEW DAYS EARLY. KMBC 9 NEWS HAS TEAM COVERAGE. WE BEGIN WITH OUR DENNIS EVANS LIVE IN GRANDVIEW WHERE A DISPENSARY THERE WAS ONE OF THE FIRST TO GET APPROVED. DENNIS: YES, IT’S CRAZY, I WAS JUST HERE THE OTHER DAY AND TALKING TO THE DIRECTOR. AT THAT POINT HE DIDN’T HAVE AN EXACT DATE ON WHEN THEY WOULD GET THE GREEN LIGHT. HE WAS PRETTY SURE IT WOULD END UP BEING ON MONDAY. LAST NIGHT THEY GOT A PHONE CALL SAYING THAT TODAY WOULD BE THE DAY. RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA USERS HAVE BEEN WAITING WHAT TO THEM FEELS LIKE FOREVER TO SMOKE LEGALLY IN MISSOURI. >> I THINK THIS IS LONG OVERDUE. DENNIS: FOR SOME CUSTOMERS, THE WAIT WAS LONGER THAN OTHERS, KENNEDY WATCHIA HAS ONLY LIVED IN MISSOURI FOR A LITTLE WHILE AND COULDN’T WAIT FOR HIS FIRST TRIP INSIDE THE DISPENSARY TO BUY LEGALLY. TO HIM, IT’S ABOUT MUCH MORE THAN LETTING UP. >> TO THINK THAT SOMETHING THAT HAS SO MANY BENEFITS WOULD BE DENIED TO PEOPLE. DENNIS: AS OF TODAY, RESIDENTS OVER THE AGE OF 21 ARE FREE TO BUY MARIJUANA, A RIGHT THAT SOME NEVER THOUGHT THEY WOULD HAVE IN THE HEART OF AMERICA. >> WHEN I FIRST STARTED SMOKING MARIJUANA 50 YEARS AGO, I WOULD HAVE BEEN ARRESTED AND IT WOULD’VE PUT ME ON A TRACK TO RUIN MY LIFE. DENNIS: THAT WAS A COMMON THEME AMONG MANY, WHO SAY THAT THEY CAN BREATHE EASY BEHIND THE WHEEL. >> IT USED TO BE THAT BEING PULLED OVER AND SMELLING MARIJUANA COULD LEAD TO SO MUCH TROUBLE. DENNIS: IT’S RIGHTS THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE FOR EVERYONE. >> WE ARE NOT DONE YET. MISSOURI IS ONE OF THE 50 IN THE UNION. A LOT OF STATES NEED TO JUMP ON BOARD. DENNIS: TAKE A LOOK AT THIS LIVE, AS PEOPLE ARE GETTING OFF WORK, THE LINE FOR THE DRIVE-THRU IS -- HAS GOT TO BE 20 DEEP GOING ALL THE WAY DOWN THE SIDE OF THE BUILDING. ANOTHER 15 TO 20 PEOPLE OUT FRONT. ANOTHER 10, 15 INSIDE THE LOBBY. AND MORE INSIDE OF THE SHOP. REALLY FUNNY MOMENTS OUT HERE, PEOPLE GOING BY AND YELLING THINGS LIKE "YAY WEED, GO CHIEFS." THE TYPICAL HUMOR, BUT A LOT OF THEM ARE VERY SERIOUS ABOUT THEIR RIGHTS WHEN IT COMES TO MARIJUANA, AND THEY ARE VERY THANKFUL THAT THIS DAY HAS FINALLY COME. DENNIS EVANS, KMBC 9 NEWS. KRIS: QUITE A FIRST DAY. ANYONE OVER THE AGE OF 21 CAN BUY MARIJUANA WITH A VALID ID. CREDIT CARDS ARE NOT ACCEPTED BECAUSE MARIJUANA IS ILLEGAL ON THE FEDERAL LEVEL. THERE IS A 6% STATE SALES TAX ON ALL PURCHASES. IN A FEW WEEKS, VOTERS WILL DECIDE ON A 3% CITY SALES TAX. SEVERAL OF THOSE CITIES INCLUDE KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, SMITHVILLE, RAYTOWN, AND INDEPENDENCE. LARA: EVEN THOUGH MARIJUANA IS LEGAL IN MISSOURI, THERE ARE SOME AREAS WHERE WEED IS NOT PERMITTED UNDER MISSOURI LAW. THAT INCLUDES PUBLIC SPACES, IN THE WORK PLACE, OR ON SCHOOL GROUNDS. DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE IS ALSO AGAINST THE LAW. IT IS ALSO ILLEGAL TO TAKE MARIJUANA INTO ANOTHER STATE LIKE KANSAS. THAT’S WHERE WE FIND KMBC 9’S REBECCA GANNON. REBECCA: AS YOU MENTIONED, KANSAS IS ONE OF FOUR STATES IN THE NATION WHERE MARIJUANA IS ILLEGAL. WHERE I’M STANDING RIGHT NOW AT 76 IN STATELINE IN PRAIRIE VILLAGE IN KANSAS, IT IS ILLEGAL. I COULD GO TO JAIL FOR POSSESSING MARIJUANA. BUT ACROSS THE STREET IN KANSAS CITY, IF YOU ARE 21 YEARS OR OLDER, YOU CAN BE THERE, YOU CAN BUY IT, AND SMOKE IT. INSIDE THE TERRABIS DISPENSARY AT PROSPECT AND GREGORY, IT’S HARD TO KEEP UP WITH THE DEMAND. >> I THINK THE MAIN QUESTION IS PEOPLE JUST ASKING IF WE’RE ACTUALLY SELLING TO RECREATIONAL CUSTOMERS, AND THE ANSWER IS YES. REBECCA: IN THE FIRST TWO HOURS OF RECREATIONAL USE BUSINESS FRIDAY, THE STORE TRIPLED ITS SALES VOLUME. AND SOME OF THOSE CUSTOMERS COME FROM KANSAS. >> THE OTHER QUESTION IS ARE WE TAKING OUT OF STATE ID’S. THE ANSWER IS YES AS WELL. SO IF YOU HAVE A KANSAS ID, OR AN ILLINOIS ID, YOU ARE MORE THAN WELCOME TO SHOP IN MISSOURI AT OUR DISPENSARIES. REBECCA: THAT’S A LOT OF GREEN ON THE COUNTER, MONEY LAWMAKERS SAY KANSAS IS LEAVING ON THE TABLE. >> WE ARE IN SUCH A PRECARIOUS POSITION RIGHT NOW, BECAUSE OF A CHANGE IS NOT ONLY IN MISSOURI, BUT OTHER STATES SURROUNDING US. REBECCA: KANSAS HOUSE LAWYERS HAVE TRIED FOR YEARS TO MAKE MEDICINAL MARIJUANA LEGAL IN THE SUNFLOWER STATE. THE KANSAS GOVERNOR HAS PROMOTED IT. BUT IT HASN’T EVER MADE IT PAST THE SENATE. >> LOST REVENUE, LACK OF PATIENT ACCESS, WE KEEP GIVING PEOPLE MORE REASONS TO LEAVE KANSAS. REBECCA AND MISSOURI IS CASHING : IN. >> I THINK IT WILL BE EXTREMELY BUSY THIS EVENING. REBECCA: WHAT IT BREAKS DOWN TO, IF YOU BUY IT IN MISSOURI, IT HAS TO BE CONSUMED IN MISSOURI