Missouri AG Cracks Down on Hemp Stores

0:00Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hannaway sent cease-and-dissist letters this week to 33 Hempstores across the state, hitting 13, businesses in the Kansas City area, the action-target shops selling intoxicating hemp products that dodged the state's regulated marijuana system by sticking to federal hemp rules. These items often contain Delta-HC or THCA, which deliver marijuana-like effects with stay under the 0.3% Delta-9 THC. It's set by the 2018 Farm Bill. Lab tests from her office reveal contaminants like lead, arsenic, and pesticides in many products. Hemp retailers argue the enforcement is crushing their operations and favors licensed marijuana sellers, who generate far more revenue. On the flip side, the legal cannabis industry welcomes the crackdown, calling the unregulated goods unsafe and often sourced overseas. Earlier this year, marijuana companies sued dozens of Hempstores in Kansas City and St. Louis, claiming unfair competition.

1:00Meanwhile, Kansas authorities rated 18 similar shops and lawsuits there challenge the seizures. With federal budget talks, possibly banning intoxicating hemp by November and Missouri lawmakers, advancing matching bills, the clash between hemp and marijuana markets shows no signs of easing anytime soon. From your city, powered by AI, this is Kansas News Today.