Skip to content
NOWCAST KMBC 9 First News on KCWE at 8AM
Watch on Demand
Advertisement

Former Northland man's medical marijuana edibles selling big in Missouri

Zach Romey's products are being sold in over 500 stores in three states

Former Northland man's medical marijuana edibles selling big in Missouri

Zach Romey's products are being sold in over 500 stores in three states

KRIS KETZ HAS HIS STORY AND THE STORY OF WHERE THE INDUSTRY IS GOING. >> IN WAREHOUSE BUILDING NOT ALL THAT FAR FROM WHERE HE GREW UP. >> KANSAS CITY, THEY HAVE BEEN FLOWING THROUGH THEM. >> WHAT HE USED TO MAKE AND SELL FROM A KITCHEN IN DENVER HAS NOW TURNED INTO A BIG BUSINESS. >> IT REALLY STARTED WITH MAKING A COUPLE BATCHES, SELLING THOSE, PUTTING IT BACK AND HAVING A SNOWBALL EFFECT. >> TODAY, HIS BRAND OF MEDICAL MARIJUANA GUMMY’S ARE SELLING. LIKE MOST EVERYTHING IN THIS INDUSTRY, THEY ARE SELLING FAST. >> WE HAVE GOTTEN SO MANY PEOPLE OFF OPIATES AND OTHER PAIN MEDICINES. >> 83,000 MISSOURIANS HAVE PERMISSION TO HELP MANAGE PAIN. HIS PRODUCTS ARE BEING SOLD IN OVER 500 STORES IN THREE STATES. 348 LICENSES HAVE BEEN ISSUED BY THE STATE. TO PEOPLE GROWING, MAKING AND SELLING THE PRODUCT. ONE OF THE BIGGER PROBLEMS IS MARIJUANA REMAINSA FEDERALLY PROHIBITED PRODUCT. PEOPLE WANTING TO GET INTO THE BUSINESS CANNOT WALK INTO A BANK AND GET ALONG. >> RIGHT NOW, IF THE BANK TAKES MONEY FROM SOMEONE IN THE INDUSTRY, THEY HAVE TO FILE A SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY REPORT EVEN THOUGH THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH HAS LICENSED THEM. THEY ARE PROTECTED UNDER THE MISSOURI CONSTITUTION. >> JACK IS A SPOKESPERSON FOR AN INDUSTRY TRADE GROUP IN MISSOURI. HE THINKS THAT WILL CHANGE. AS FOR ZACH, ONE OF HIS BIG CHALLENGES IS
Advertisement
Former Northland man's medical marijuana edibles selling big in Missouri

Zach Romey's products are being sold in over 500 stores in three states

Zach Romey grew up in the Northland and now his Colorado-based company is a big seller of medical marijuana edibles. And they're selling a lot in Missouri.In a warehouse-type building, not all that far from where Romey grew up, what he used to make and sell from a rental house kitchen in Denver has now turned into a big business."So it really started with making a couple batches, selling those, taking all the money, putting it back and just kind of having a snowball effect," Romey said.That was 2014. Today, his Robhots brand of medical marijuana gummies are selling and like most everything else in this industry in Missouri, they're selling fast."Because I mean, we really are helping people. We've gotten so many people off opiates and other pain medicines and all that stuff," Romey said.The state says 83,000 Missourians have permission to buy this to help manage pain. Romey's products are being sold in over 500 stores in three states.Since Missouri voters approved medical marijuana in 2018, 348 licenses have been issued by the state to people growing, making and selling the product.But one of the bigger problems is marijuana remains a federally prohibited product, meaning people wanting to get into the business can't just walk into a bank and get a loan."Yeah because right now, if a bank takes money from someone in the industry right, they have to file a suspicious activity report, even though the Department of Health is licensing them, they're protected under the Missouri Constitution, it's still federally illegal," said Jack Cardetti, a spokesman for an industry trade association in Missouri.Cardetti believes that may change. As for Romey, one of his biggest challenges right now is demand is way ahead of supply, but he believes that will change, too.

Zach Romey grew up in the Northland and now his Colorado-based company is a big seller of medical marijuana edibles. And they're selling a lot in Missouri.

In a warehouse-type building, not all that far from where Romey grew up, what he used to make and sell from a rental house kitchen in Denver has now turned into a big business.

Advertisement

"So it really started with making a couple batches, selling those, taking all the money, putting it back and just kind of having a snowball effect," Romey said.

That was 2014. Today, his Robhots brand of medical marijuana gummies are selling and like most everything else in this industry in Missouri, they're selling fast.

"Because I mean, we really are helping people. We've gotten so many people off opiates and other pain medicines and all that stuff," Romey said.

The state says 83,000 Missourians have permission to buy this to help manage pain. Romey's products are being sold in over 500 stores in three states.

Since Missouri voters approved medical marijuana in 2018, 348 licenses have been issued by the state to people growing, making and selling the product.

But one of the bigger problems is marijuana remains a federally prohibited product, meaning people wanting to get into the business can't just walk into a bank and get a loan.

"Yeah because right now, if a bank takes money from someone in the industry right, they have to file a suspicious activity report, even though the Department of Health is licensing them, they're protected under the Missouri Constitution, it's still federally illegal," said Jack Cardetti, a spokesman for an industry trade association in Missouri.

Cardetti believes that may change. As for Romey, one of his biggest challenges right now is demand is way ahead of supply, but he believes that will change, too.