Canna Bliss owner has no plans to appeal

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After being denied licenses to operate medical marijuana dispensaries, Springfield-based Canna Bliss LLC is not planning to appeal the decision with the state, said Jamie Tillman, the company’s owner.

“You go with the hand that you’re dealt,” said Tillman, speaking this morning as Springfield Business Journal’s 12 People You Need to Know live interview guest. “The state decided that I wasn’t qualified enough. I may disagree with their opinion … but I’ve cut my losses.”

Tillman, who applied for five dispensary licenses, previously told SBJ she invested more than $1 million into the process.

“That was exhausting,” she said, noting applications for licenses were around 500 pages.

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services last month announced the recipients of 192 dispensary licenses out of more than 1,200 applicants. In Springfield, 11 applicants got the nod, including former NFL player Grant Wistrom’s Revival Ninety-Eight LLC, according to past SBJ reporting. Myriad companies who were denied have moved to appeal and some have filed lawsuits.

Moving forward, Tillman said Canna Bliss would continue to focus on selling cannabidiol, or CBD, products at stores located at 210 W. Republic Road, Ste. 100, and 1937 S. Glenstone Ave. Last year, she said her Springfield shops produced around $750,000 in sales.

“CBD is a natural path you can take,” she said, noting unlike THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, CBD does not produce a “high” and is not federally illegal.

The Glenstone Avenue shop, she said, could be impacted more by the impending medical marijuana industry, as multiple businesses were approved to operate along the corridor.

Tillman also is focusing on Canna Bliss’ Lady Sativa product line designed to help women feel empowered by assisting them with anxiety and sleep issues. Tillman said she has contacted two manufacturers in hopes of adding THC and selling Lady Sativa products at dispensaries.

Additionally, Tillman is putting her support behind Tetra Health LLC, a local operation owned by her friend Ronald “Buddy” Hyde that also was denied licenses for medical marijuana. She said Tetra Health, which only narrowly was denied, is filing appeals.

Should Tetra Health gain a license, Tillman said the plan is for Hyde’s business to lease a former gas station that she and her father purchased last year. Tillman had planned to use the 1109 E. Battlefield Road property — kitty-corner to Andy B's Entertainment & Bowling Centers’ Springfield attraction — for a medical marijuana dispensary.