It didn’t take long for Missouri’s newly established adult-use marijuana market to feel growing pains.

The Midwestern market, which launched recreational sales on Feb. 3, is off to a sizzling start and on pace to break $1 billion in sales in its first full year.

But strong demand from medical marijuana patients as well as local and out-of-state consumers has far exceeded operators’ expectations and resulted in the kind of product shortages and higher wholesale prices experienced in other newly launched recreational markets.

In some areas of the state, particularly near the Kansas border, Missouri retailers are seeing foot traffic increase ninefold since expanding into recreational sales.

In southeastern Missouri, Illinois consumers are crossing the Mississippi River in droves for St. Louis cannabis that’s significantly cheaper than back home.

Even illicit marijuana feeding the market from neighboring Oklahoma hasn’t quelled demand in Missouri, leading to big spikes in wholesale flower prices and inventory shortages throughout the supply chain.

Read the entire article about Missouri cannabis.