Missouri’s fledgling medical marijuana program has approved nearly 70,000 patient and caregiver applications — so many, there is not yet enough legal cannabis in the state to serve them all. And for some patients, the prices seem pretty high.

But people working in the industry say patience is necessary. The seeds of the solution to both problems are already in the ground.

“Part of the challenge is, if you only have a dispensary license, you can open, but you’re waiting for companies like ourselves or others, to get their cultivation or manufacturing license open, to be able to provide you product,” said Mitch Meyers, CEO of BeLeaf Medical Co. For Meyers’ company, that’s less of a problem; it’s licensed to both grow and sell. “We are very fortunate to have a vertically integrated license.”

The first officially sanctioned sale in the state took place two months ago. Now a total of 17 dispensaries are open statewide, with licensed shops in Ellisville, St. Peters, Manchester and Washington, along with other locations outside the St. Louis metro area.

Both Meyers and Jack Cardetti, spokesperson for the Missouri Medical Cannabis Trade Association, said on St. Louis on the Air that things are looking up. Cardetti said that soon there will be 192 dispensaries across the state. [Read more at St. Louis Public Radio]