Professional Summary
Abigail Vivas serves as the first Chief Equity Officer of Missouri’s Division of Cannabis Regulation and overseas the Office of Business Opportunity. The Chief Equity Officer position was established with the passage of Amendment 3 in November 2022 along with the cannabis microbusiness program. The program is designed to allow marginalized or under-represented individuals to participate in the state’s legal marijuana industry. Abby is responsible for developing and implementing programs to inform the public of microbusiness license opportunities, establishing public education and targeted technical assistance programming detailing the licensing process, and informing individuals of the support and resources that the office can provide. She certifies that microbusiness applicants are eligible for microbusinesses licensure.
Before joining the field of cannabis regulation, Abby had an extensive career in forensic science, spending 18 years with the Missouri State Highway Patrol Crime Laboratory Division. Primarily working in Drug Chemistry, she saw the evolution of cannabis from a different lens. She also managed the Missouri Department of Agriculture Feed Laboratory before accepting the position with DCR.
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