Missouri hemp businesses face uphill battle amid new THC regulations
Erika McGuire
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
A deal to end the federal government shutdown included a provision that limits how much THC can be legally contained in hemp-derived products.
Under the new rule, hemp products could contain no more than 0.4 milligrams of total THC per container. Experts note that hemp generally has much lower levels of THC than marijuana under federal law and effectively bans most hemp-derived consumer products.
The 2018 Farm Bill allows hemp with up to a 0.3% of THC per serving by dry weight.
Last year, the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services estimated 40,000 food establishments and smoke shops, and 1,800 food manufacturers, were selling products in Missouri that would be banned under the proposed regulations.
A report called “Missouri Hemp Hoax” analyzed 55 products purchases from unlicensed retailers across the state. Testing found that 53 of the 55 products exceeded the 0.3% THC threshold. It found most products contained total THC between 10%-80%. It also found 16 of the 55 products failed for dangerous contaminants like heavy metals, pesticides or residual solvents.
Ethan Jones, owner of MindRight Wellness in downtown Columbia, has sold hemp products for five years. He said his business would be significantly affected if the House passes the measure.
“I have dispensaries referring business to me because these are people that are going to look for relief, and they’re not selling it,” Jones said. “Enough to make a financial impact to my business, that’s for sure. But on top of that, even further, eliminate the chance for me to help people in a way that I’ve been helping people for many years now in a very safe and effective way,”
Jones’s most popular product is a full-spectrum CBD gummy that contains 0.3% THC per serving. He said he sells between 40-60 containers a month, accounting for about 6.6% of his monthly sales. He said the gummies help people sleep, anxiety, pain relief etc.
According to Jones, most of his customers are working adults and older adults.
He added the new restrictions would force customers to look elsewhere for a product they use for health-related reasons.
“It’s confusing to hear all of this change, as it would be someone who’s been buying the same product for five years and now having no option to buy that, or unless they’re going to get funneled into a dispensary and pay probably three or four times the actual price for the same exact product,” he said.
With hemp-derived products possibly containing .04% per container, Jones says it would nearly make all products illegal.
“As it stands right now within that language there would be really no hemp industry left. So I don’t, it sounds purposeful to me, that they did it that way. Right now, within the regulations, that .03% per serving has been extremely safe,” Jones said.
“If you really look into people benefiting from these types of products, so in reality it could even get to the point that people end up going down an even worse route for literally just not having a simple legal option available anymore,” he added.
The lower dose of THC in products, Jones says will take the whole purpose away of a hemp-derived product and it won’t have the affect it with the current level of THC allowed.
“They just don’t seem to have medicinal value to people again this is someone who helps people everyday and has for years and seeing the direct impact its having on people’s lives it doesn’t work as well,” Jones said.
Rep. Dave Hinman (R-O’Fallon) plans to refile a bill he proposed that would allow Missouri businesses to sell low-dose Hemp THC beverages and edibles. He says it would protect local businesses and farmers.
“I would prefer to move forward with the bill I was going to present that allowed the two carve outs to happen.” Hinman said. “That would be my preference if I was able to do something. I think this is really kind of extreme by now allowing anything but if that’s the direction the federal government’s going in we don’t have much of a choice,”
However, he believes regulations are needed, as products tend to have similar packaging that tend attract children.
“There’s a lot of bad actors out there, unfortunately, that are selling products that are really marketed toward kids,’ Hinman said. “I had a meeting in my office last week where a group of folks brought in, bags that looked exactly like Skittles, bags that looked exactly like Doritos and that’s the kind of stuff that’s really putting a bad name on hemp products out here, is people that are selling that kind of stuff in their stores that children then get ahold of,”
The law will go into effect Nov. 12 of next year.
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