Governor Mike Parson of Missouri has issued emergency regulations to ban certain cannabis-infused products that resemble popular candies. This decision comes after a 600% increase in emergency room visits and hospitalizations due to young children consuming these products since 2018. Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft has opposed the governor’s actions, possibly due to recent political rivalry between the two.
Parson had supported Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe in the Republican primary, in which Ashcroft finished third. Parson’s commitment to protecting children from cannabis-infused edibles has sparked a debate about why similar urgency is not applied to gun violence, a leading cause of death among children in Missouri.
Over 1,300 people die from gun violence in the state each year, with more than 131 of these deaths being children.
Missouri bans candy-like cannabis products
In the St.
Louis metropolitan area alone, 15 children have been killed by gun violence this year. Despite this, there has been little legislative movement in Missouri to address gun violence. Instead, lawmakers have focused on measures like the Second Amendment Preservation Act, which aimed to nullify federal gun laws in Missouri but was struck down by the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals as unconstitutional.
Recent judicial decisions affirm that there is room for sensible gun regulation that does not infringe on Second Amendment rights. However, Parson and his fellow Republicans have yet to present concrete measures to curb gun violence, despite taking decisive action against cannabis products. This contrast raises questions about why it is deemed “unacceptable” for children to be harmed by cannabis products but “acceptable” for them to fall victim to gun violence.
Governor Parson’s focus on cannabis safety may be well-intentioned, but the lack of similar measures for gun control remains a critical and unresolved issue.
- STLToday.”Messenger: Missouri governor moves to protect children from cannabis. Now do guns.”.
- MJBizDaily.”Missouri governor orders intoxicating hemp products removed from stores”.
- KWOS.”Some edibles are leaving the shelves”.