Intoxicating hemp-derived THC products would be banned in Missouri under a bill that passed the state House of Representatives last week.
House Bill 2641 promises to drastically change the estimated $1 billion market for hemp THC products in Missouri, which are sold at more than 40,000 retailers and other outlets like bars and restaurants.
Sponsored by Republican state Rep. Dave Hinman, now heads to the state Senate for consideration, according to the Missouri Independent. A hearing date has not been scheduled.
The bill address concerns over the unregulated sale of hemp-derived THC products, which have proliferated in Missouri and other states.
Missouri ban on hemp THC products consistent with new federal hemp redefinition
If enacted, the bill would outlaw hemp products with more than 0.4 milligrams of THC per container.
That’s consistent with the redefinition of hemp under federal law that President Donald Trump signed into law in November.
Prior efforts to regulate or restrict hemp products in Missouri, such as a short-lived executive order in 2024, have failed. State lawmakers also tabled a competing bill that proposes regulating hemp-derived THC products, including popular beverages, the Columbia Missourian reported.
“We’re not pioneering anything new here,” Hinman said during the debate on his bill, according to the Independent.
“What Missouri is doing … is simply aligning our state statutes with the federal action so our law enforcement, the highway patrol, local prosecutors and the attorney general’s office can work in tandem with our federal partners. No gaps, no loopholes.”
The move aligns with demands to ban hemp THC from the cannabis industry trade association MoCann Trade last fall.
Missouri’s legal cannabis industry generated a record $1.5 billion in sales last year, a 4% increase over 2024.
Audit raises licensing questions
A report last week from Missouri State Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick raised questions about whether the Missouri Division of Cannabis Control awarded recreational cannabis licenses fairly, according to the Independent.
The nearly three-year audit found flaws in the scoring process for medical marijuana license applications. The division awarded 348 licenses from the more than 2,000 applications it received.
The division defended its scoring system, calling Fitzpatrick’s findings “baseless” and “flawed,” the Independent reported.
The audit’s findings are significant given Missouri’s rapid market growth. The state transitioned from medical to adult-use cannabis in just three months after voters approved Amendment 3 in November 2022.
