EARTH CITY, Mo. — An Earth City company has opened the first cannabis grow facility in the state. 

BeLeaf Medical plans to harvest about 8,000-10,000 pounds of cannabis a year with the first harvesting coming in the fall. The cannabis will be sold in Missouri dispensaries to be smoked, used in edibles, topicals and other products. 

CEO Mitch Meyers said cannabis can be life-saving for Missourians.

“I will tell you probably 40% of our patients were using cannabis to detox off opiates,” Meyers said. “I personally think this is why medical cannabis is being embraced now is because physicians see this as a safer alternative.”

Medical cannabis can also be used to treat epilepsy and other ailments.

The cultivation facility is expected to create 30 jobs, Meyers said.  

In 2018, Missouri voters approved medical marijuana. Since then, the state has been flooded with applications from companies wanting to manufacture cannabis and open dispensaries.