Raytown business partners Andrew McDowell and Roderic Pearson have long dreamed of building a legitimate marijuana business. So after Missouri voters legalized medical marijuana in 2018, the pair explored what it would take to transform Funky Skunk, their smoke shop selling CBD products, into a marijuana dispensary. But they balked at the endeavor after estimating it would cost at least half a million dollars to meet the state’s strict licensing regulations. Now, they see what could be another shot — but they have doubts. On Nov. 8, Missouri voters will decide whether to approve a constitutional amendment that would legalize marijuana for adults over the age of 21. If it’s approved, small, Black-owned mom-and-pop shops like Funky Skunk will be part of the mad dash to scoop up newly created micro-licenses to sell marijuana. The Funky Skunk proprietors have reservations about the proposed changes, mainly that the state’s marijuana industry will remain largely under the control of est...