THC

Following a lawsuit from the state's hemp industry, Missouri health regulators will stop embargoing products simply because they contain hemp-derived THC. Instead, they'll focus on identifying "misbranded" products.

“As best I can tell, you denied this emergency rulemaking because you believe hurt feelings are more important than protecting children,” Gov. Mike Parson wrote in a letter to the secretary of state.

Testimony and evidence presented during this week’s appeal hearing showed state regulators were aware Delta Extraction was using hemp-derived THC long before its products were recalled.

Delta Extraction will try to convince the Administrative Hearing Commission to reverse its license revocation and allow it to sell its product in Missouri after allegations the company violated state law by selling THC concentrate derived from out-of-state hemp.

The fate of 45,000 recalled products is still pending before the Missouri Administrative Hearing Commission.

Marijuana manufacturer Delta Extraction has denied accusations that it illegally imported cannabis into Missouri, arguing it actually imported a non-psychoactive hemp product that was converted into THC once in the state. But dispensaries said they had no idea Delta's product was made from hemp.

The bill would put the hemp-derived THC products under the same regulations as marijuana. Proponents say it’s about safety, though critics complain it further fuels the ‘marijuana monopoly.’

The USDA has published final rules for hemp production in 2021, although Midwest farmers could still be in for a difficult year.

Illinois becomes the 11th state to legalize the recreational use of marijuana on Jan. 1, six years after Colorado started to allow recreational sales. The…