SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Old Route 66 Wellness opened on Election Day in November, and demand was so high that they ran out of product just weeks after opening.

Old Route 66 Wellness was one of the first few dispensaries in Missouri to open their doors. Owner John Lopez says it was good to be able to establish a customer-base and help patients early on, but there are some negatives to being early into the market place.

The main reason: a lack of marijuana to put on their shelves.

“More manufacturers and dispensaries coming onboard means that more of the very little product that there is in the state is being dispersed that way,” says Lopez. “I think there’s 10 or 11 cultivators now, but only a few that are actually selling to dispensaries. As more cultivators get onboard, it’s not like they can hit the floor running like manufacturers and dispensaries. Cultivators, when they pass their final inspection, they’re just now allowed to start growing.”

That lack of production has created a slow down at some dispensaries.

Out at the Cassville Dispensary, General Manager Charlea Estes-Jones says they’ve only run out of product for about a day, but they want to see more cultivators come on board for a different reason.

“Right now, we have a lot of patients who struggle with the price. I think all dispensaries are doing their best prices that they can to honestly stay in business. I think when we see more plants in the ground, more options, more variety, and the program’s a little more matured, I think we’ll see some of those prices get a little more competitive,” says Estes-Jones.

Until then, Old Route 66 they are aiming for New Year’s Eve to re-open again – though they’ll announce it on their social media pages to be sure. Lopez thinks this won’t be an issue for long.

“We think by March or April it will have leveled out, and we think by March or April, we’ll start seeing the prices going down as well,” says Lopez.