The Missouri Hemp Trade Association filed a lawsuit Friday in Cole County Circuit Court to stop the governor's ban on all intoxicating hemp food and drinks from taking effect Sunday.
The action comes in response to a memo the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services sent to food retailers on Thursday detailing how the ban will play out. "This memo really crystallizes the issue and really makes clear what they're intending to do," said Chuck Hatfield, the association's attorney. "And I think what they're intending to do is illegal."
On Aug. 1, Gov. Mike Parson signed an executive order to remove all hemp-derived THC edibles and beverages from store shelves and threatening penalties to any establishment that continues selling them. Because hemp isn't a controlled substance like marijuana, there's no state or federal law saying teenagers or children can't buy products, such as delta-8 drinks, or that stores can't sell them to minors, Parson said.
And there's no requirement to list potential effects on the label or test how much THC is actually in them. State lawmakers have failed to pass such requirements the last two years. Parson said the main target of his order are companies that sell intoxicating hemp edibles that mimic popular candy. However, hemp industry leaders argue the order also bans products that aren't attractive to children, have gone through lab testing and are only sold to customers 21 and up.
Read more at missouriindependent.com