JEFFERSON CITY • Two dozen companies, including at least six that have hired lobbyists to represent them, have shown interest in tapping into the potentially lucrative business of helping Missouri run its medical marijuana program.

Although the state has declined to release records related to some of the vendors seeking to be involved in the rollout of the program, officials provided the Post-Dispatch with a listing of companies that are vying to supply the software and support services to register patients, license facilities and track marijuana from seed to sale.

The roster includes Florida-based BiotrackTHC, a marijuana products software company that has hired former House Speaker Steve Tilley to lobby on its behalf.

Tilley also lobbies for the Missouri Medical Cannabis Trade Association, which is working on behalf of companies that want a foothold in the fledgling industry.

Some companies involved in the bidding process are global in stature, including consulting giant Accenture, while others are based in Jefferson City. A number of them, including MJ Freeway, which has held contracts in Pennsylvania and Washington, have already been working in the 33 other states where marijuana has been legalized for medical or recreational purposes.