JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – The executive order Missouri Governor Mike Parson signed to prohibit the sale of psychoactive cannabis products goes into effect on September 1.
Executive Order 24-10 was first announced by Parson during a August 1 press conference, in which he expressed concerns regarding the health effects of the substances, especially for children.
Through the order, a ban will be in place to prevent psychoactive cannabis products from being manufactured, sold, or delivered in Missouri unless they come from an ‘approved source’, which there currently aren’t any recognized by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) nor the State of Missouri.
Just last week, Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft rejected the emergency rule put in place by the state’s division of alcohol and tobacco control. Parson accused Ashcroft of denying the rule due to the governor endorsing another candidate.
Despite this, the ATC says they will continue to follow through on the matter, and the rejection from Ashcroft does not affect the Sept. 1 effective ban date with DHSS.
The ban comes in response to the recent increase in the availability of the psychoactive products and the intriguing marketing tactics companies have used to attract users, particularly young consumers, using brand name foods and candies.
According to the executive order, psychoactive cannabis products banned from sale include ones with the following compounds:
- delta-8 and delta-10 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)
- hexahydrocannabinol (HHC)
- tetrahydrocannabinol (THC-O)
- tetrahydrocannabiphoral (THCP)
- tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV)
According to an April 2024 health advisory from Missouri DHSS, consuming psychoactive cannabis products is associated with a risk for poisoning, unexpected intoxication, impairment of cognitive function, nausea, vomiting, and more.
The National Poison Control Centers have documented that 2 in 5 exposures of Delta 8 have occurred in children, according to health officials.
“We have seen the negative impacts of unregulated psychoactive cannabis products firsthand,” Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) Director Paula F. Nickelson said. “Numerous Missourians have been adversely affected by consuming foods laced with these products. Disturbingly, children in Missouri and across the nation have been hospitalized after ingesting these substances, and this is unacceptable.”
Parson confirmed on X that adult-use recreational marijuana will remain legal in Missouri through “authorized, licensed dispensaries.” With the order going into effect, adults who want to purchase THC-infused and similar psychoactive products can only purchase them legally through a state-approved dispensary.
