After the Missouri Secretary of State rejected his emergency rule, Missouri Gov. Mike Parson announced new efforts on Tuesday to further regulate the hemp industry.
The Department of Health and Senior Services started enforcing Parson’s new regulations this month. Now, Parson and Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey announced a task force and reporting platform to increase their regulation of hemp products.
Last year, the Missouri Poison Center said it had 168 cases of children 5 and under exposed to cannabis. This is up from only 5 cases in 2018, and Missouri Poison Center Director Julie Weber blames it on the packaging.
“Most children eat the gummies and brownies, thinking it’s something OK to eat,” Weber said.
Parson said he wants the Missouri Legislature to address hemp regulations when it reconvenes in January, and these rules and regulations are meant to stand in until then.
Members of the Missouri Hemp Trade said they have tried to get in contact with Parson about these regulations. John Grady is the Co-owner of Slap Happy Hemp Company in Central Missouri. He said the governor’s rules and regulations have put the whole industry in a bad light, instead of focusing on just bad actors.
“[I hope] that the legislator will actually work forward and put together comprehensive regulations for the hemp industry to protect Missouri citizens, Missouri children, and the farmers of the hemp industry, the producers of the hemp industry, so we do not kill that industry,” Grady said.
Hemp retailers and producers in Missouri agree that regulation of these products is needed, but don’t think Parson is going about it in the best way.
“We actively engage and when we go into these shops that have that, we ask them to remove them if they don’t report it to the FTC as a copyright infringement,” Grady said.
Brooklyn Hill, president of the Missouri Hemp Trade, said the governor is still not inviting any hemp producers or retailers to the table. She doesn’t feel Tuesday’s actions were productive, and suggests the governor and attorney general extend an invite to those in the industry to discuss solutions.
Lee’s Summit Republican Rep. Jon Patterson -- who is expected to take over the role of Speaker of the House next year -- said his presence at the announcement Tuesday was a commitment to working on hemp regulations come January.
