Missouri – Since September 1, 2024, the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) has visited 64 businesses and seized 9,000 cannabis products packaged to resemble candy, designed to appeal to children.
Governor Mike Parson announced the creation of a statewide task force to combat the spread of unregulated hemp candy, which has been making children sick and causing intoxication. Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey’s office will collaborate with the Division of Alcohol and Tobacco Control and DHSS to identify, investigate, and remove these products. Businesses that fail to comply will face lawsuits or criminal charges.
Parson’s move comes after Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft twice rejected the governor’s emergency rule to ban these items. Ashcroft is still reviewing the governor’s proposed administrative rule, which could take several more months to implement.
