Elevate Cannabis has proposed a shrewsbury cannabis dispensary at 7590 Watson Road, seeking to relocate an existing Missouri license and construct a new 2,800-square-foot building. The Shrewsbury Plan Commission advanced ordinance changes and a special-use permit for the proposal at its June 24 meeting, clearing initial legislative steps but leaving rezoning and final approval to the board of aldermen.
Elevate operates 15 dispensaries in Missouri under several brands and is licensed by the Missouri Department of Health and Human Services. State law caps the total number of recreational dispensary licenses, so the company proposes to move an existing licensed facility to the Watson Road site rather than apply for a new license.
Preliminary site plans show the dispensary would occupy 7590 Watson Road and incorporate the adjacent lot at 7500 Watson Road; the latter parcel requires rezoning to allow retail cannabis use. The proposed single-story building would measure about 2,800 square feet and include 19 parking spaces. Both lots are under contract, according to Elevate representatives.
Elevate presented a fiscal projection estimating roughly $1.6 million in annual tax revenue for Shrewsbury from the dispensary—an amount the company said would equal approximately 3 percent of the city’s budget based on current figures. Elevate’s attorney, Dan Welsh, compared the retail model to a pharmacy: customers could shop in person, order online for curbside or pick-up window service, and would not consume cannabis on-site.
Missouri voters approved recreational marijuana by constitutional amendment in late 2022. Shrewsbury officials began updating local rules at that time but did not complete the process. City Administrator Dustin Ziebold told the plan commission the existing local ordinance addressed medical marijuana and that the proposed revision expands city rules to permit recreational dispensaries while aligning with state requirements.
The revised ordinance the commission forwarded includes specific siting limits. It would prohibit dispensaries within set distances of schools, child care centers, churches and libraries, and it adds restrictions on locations near single-family residences. A separate rezoning application to change the zoning for 7500 Watson Road is pending and must be approved before the dispensary can proceed.
Shrewsbury Police Chief Lisa Vargas collected input from 15 law enforcement agencies that have dispensaries in their jurisdictions. Vargas reported that agencies responded positively overall and that none reported increases in crime or substantial demands on police resources related to nearby dispensaries. “Most said they don’t even realize the business is there, as they have no calls for service at those locations,” she told the commission.
State rules prohibit on-site cannabis consumption at dispensaries and require strict security measures. Elevate representatives said the company will comply with state-mandated security protocols, sales tracking, and age-verification requirements.
Next steps: the board of aldermen must vote to adopt the revised ordinance, approve the rezoning for the 7500 parcel, and grant the special-use permit for Elevate’s site plan. If the board approves those items, Elevate would then move to finalize construction plans and transfer its existing license to the Shrewsbury address under state procedures for license relocation.
The plan commission’s June 24 action advances the land-use approvals but does not guarantee final permits. City officials and Elevate said they will present detailed site and traffic plans in subsequent meetings. The Times will continue to follow developments, including any public hearings and the aldermen’s decisions on zoning and the special-use permit.
