John SchroyerThe Missouri attorney general’s office teamed up with the state Division of Alcohol and Tobacco Control to launch a new task force aimed at “the spread of unregulated psychoactive cannabis products,” as a spinoff of the new crackdown on intoxicating hemp goods in the midwestern state.
During a press conference, Attorney General Andrew Bailey said that agents will specifically be targeting THC-infused goods that are knockoffs of popular mainstream candy brands which appeal to kids, Fox 2 Now reported.
“Missourians have a right to know what is in the products they or their children consume. That is why we are building on our existing investigation into these harmful, illicit products by formalizing a unit within my Consumer Protection Division that will be dedicated to investigating referrals from the ATC,” Bailey said. “We will enforce the law to protect our children every step of the way.”
The move follows an attempt by Gov. Mike Parson last month to unilaterally ban intoxicating hemp goods via executive order, before pushback from Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft threw a wrench into the plan by rejecting some emergency rules connected with the order. But the ban is now back on track, though it also sparked litigation from hemp companies hoping to block the crackdown.
That’s where the new task force comes in. The ATC will run point on investigating licensed retailers around the state found to be selling various cannabis and hemp goods, and will refer possible violators to the attorney general’s office, Fox 2 Now reported.
Bailey’s office, meanwhile, is creating a new prosecutorial unit to examine those referrals from the ATC and take subsequent action.
The state Department of Health will also embargo hemp or cannabis goods that are “unregulated” or don’t come from an “approved source,” Fox 2 Now reported.
