The Missouri Attorney General’s Office has joined forces with Governor Mike Parson’s administration to crack down on the sale of intoxicating hemp candy to children. Attorney General Andrew Bailey announced the creation of a new unit in his office aimed at addressing the issue. The Department of Health and Senior Services and the Department of Public Safety’s Alcohol and Tobacco Control Division will forward cases to the attorney general’s office for potential prosecution.
“Under state law, Missourians have a right to know what is in the products they or their children consume. That is why we are building on our existing investigation into these harmful, illicit products,” Bailey stated. This move comes after Governor Parson used his emergency powers on August 1 to ban all intoxicating hemp food and drinks in response to the rising availability of these products and emerging health concerns, particularly among youths.
Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft had twice proposed a crackdown, but it faced delays, pushing the complete implementation window to up to six months. The rule is also currently subject to a lawsuit filed by the Missouri Hemp Trade Association. “They are simply targeting children,” Parson asserted.
“This is pretty basic stuff. We need to put an end to it.”
Parson, who will be leaving office in January, has called on lawmakers to pass new laws addressing these products when they reconvene next year. House Majority Leader Jon Patterson expressed his commitment to pushing forward legislation to regulate the marketing of cannabis or hemp products towards children.
Missouri targets illicit hemp products
According to state health officials, national poison control centers report that approximately 2 in 5 exposures to delta-8 THC products involve children. Parson has directed state regulators to inspect businesses for compliance.
The Department of Health and Senior Services requests voluntary compliance, including destruction of unregulated products when found. If compliance is not achieved, products are embargoed and held on the premises until a court order for destruction is obtained. Since September 1, DHSS has inspected 64 facilities, finding unregulated psychoactive cannabis products in 39 of them, leading to 8,929 products being embargoed.
Julie Weber, director of the Missouri Poison Center, noted that poisoning cases involving young children linked to these products have doubled each year since 2018. “At the Missouri Poison Center, we have seen a steady increase in exposures related to accessibility and misidentification by children 5 years or younger consuming cannabis,” Weber commented. As the proliferation of THC-infused beverages reaches mainstream shelves, regulators and lawmakers are scrutinizing the industry more closely.
The surge, particularly in THC seltzers, owes its legality to the 2018 Farm Bill. Lisa Hurwitz, co-founder of Happy, a THC seltzer company, emphasized their commitment to safety through rigorous testing and transparency despite the absence of federal regulation. However, the industry faces challenges, such as Representative Mary Miller’s proposed amendment aimed at banning these products due to perceived risks to minors.
Hurwitz advocates for regulation over prohibition, noting dangers in unregulated alternatives like synthetic Delta-8. The future of THC beverages may depend on balancing consumer safety with market freedoms.
- STLToday.”Missouri attorney general and governor join forces in fight over the sale of hemp gummies”.
- MarijuanaMoment.”Missouri Regulators Launch ‘Raids’ Of Nearly 50 Stores, Looking For Intoxicating Hemp Edibles”.
- GreenMarketReport.”Missouri task force created to combat illicit cannabis”.