Parson creates task force to snuff out hemp-derived THC
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)
Missouri Gov. Mike Parson and Attorney General Andrew Bailey were among the state officials on hand Tuesday for Parson's announcement that he's creating a task force to crack down on sales of THC derived from hemp.
Parson issued an executive order banning the sales of some of the products that use a form of the intoxicating substance found in marijuana. The THC in these products is extracted from marijuana's cousin, hemp, in a lab setting.
The task force will be a joint effort between the Attorney General's Office and the Division of Alcohol and Tobacco Control. According to the press release, the ATC will investigate its licensees who sell unregulated THC products and collect evidence of deceptive marketing.
"I am confident that this joint effort, strengthened by the additional resources and support we are dedicating to this cause, will lead to a significant reduction in the number of children endangered by these fraudulently marketed products," Attorney General Andrew Bailey said during the press conference.
The findings of the investigations will then be referred to the attorney general, who will have a new Consumer Protection Division unit that will evaluate all the referrals. Any licensees who continue to sell unregulated cannabis products could then face legal action from the ATC.
The Department of Health and Senior Services will continue to ban unregulated products in Missouri, Parson said.
"We are not the only state facing this issue and not the only state taking action," Parson said during the press conference. "I think you'll see more and more states become heavily involved in trying to protect our children and our state."
The products -- including edibles and vapes -- had commonly been seen for sale in gas stations and vape shops before the new rules took effect Sept. 1.
According to the press release, since Sept. 1, the DHSS visited 64 facilities and found 39 of them selling unregulated products. Almost 9,000 products have been banned.
