Missouri’s intoxicating hemp market is about to change, and the beverage sector just got a short reprieve after the federal hemp ban was delayed, with a new state law taking effect Nov. 12.
Under House Bill 2641, signed into law in April, all intoxicating hemp products with more than 0.4 milligrams of THC per container will be reclassified as marijuana.
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That means they can only be sold in licensed marijuana stores in the state’s $1.5 billion regulated market and must be grown and manufactured in state-licensed facilities, the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, which will oversee the products under existing cannabis regulations, told the Missouri Independent.
What happens to hemp THC beverages under the new law?
Hemp THC beverages get slightly more runway. In Missouri, the state’s ban on intoxicating hemp products takes effect Nov. 12, but beverages will stay on store shelves until Dec. 11 because of a federal delay.
President Donald Trump signed a bill last week delaying the federal hemp ban by one month as state-level restrictions in Missouri’s unregulated $1 billion hemp THC market kick in.
Among the new state restrictions on hemp cannabinoid drinks is a 21-and-older purchase requirement.
Missourians also won’t be able to buy hemp-derived THC products online after Nov. 12.
Republican state Rep. Dave Hinman, who sponsored the state ban, expects Missouri authorities to communicate with retailers so they understand the law before it takes effect, the Independent reported.
Hinman, who said state leaders have asked him to keep leading on cannabis-related legislation, anticipates more work when Missouri’s next session opens on Jan. 6 – particularly if there’s more movement in Washington ahead of the new federal ban date in December.
If Congress moves to allow full-spectrum products, Missouri will need to approve those products through its own law, according to the Independent.
Any further delay of the federal ban would require lawmakers to write rules specifically for beverages.
“If they make a change in the drinks, then this is something we will have to look at in January, putting a framework around specifically the drinks,” Hinman told the Independent.
What does Missouri’s hemp ban mean for medical marijuana patients?
Dr. Patricia Hurford, a physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist, worries about medical access for patients, the Independent reported.
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Hurford noted the marijuana industry grew out of medicinal and therapeutic products, yet many dispensaries emphasize recreational offerings and present an environment some patients find intimidating.
As low-dose, full-spectrum options vanish, medical users lose a familiar entry point.
“Let’s get back to promoting the medicinal aspects in those products,” she told the Independent.
