“I just hate that he had to pay a terrible price for me to change and go after it and help inform people about a plant I really believe will become the holy grail of natural medicine,” he said.

Joe Ingrande, a veteran of the Gulf War, and his son hope to open three dispensaries in Troy, St. Ann and Bowling Green, Missouri., and primarily serve military veterans.

“I’m a disabled veteran,” said Ingrande, a project manager for Concrete Strategies. “I saw a bunch of my buddies self medicating and stuff like that and getting addicted to opioids.”

Their business team includes Ian Zarvos, a mixed martial arts fighter and trainer in St. Ann. The group’s name, Mission 22 Medical, refers to a study of suicides among U.S. military active members and veterans.

“We’ve been able to get a lot of sweat equity because of the Mission 22 mantra, if you will,” he said. “People are on board to help us.”

Family-owned startups

Marijuana-infused gummy candies brought pain relief for Tina Rigoni’s father, who battled Alzheimer’s and inoperable lung cancer, during a family trip to Colorado.