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Missouri legislators are wrestling with how to regulate hemp-derived intoxicating goods as they hear testimony from the Senate on Intoxicating cannabinoid control Act (Senate Bill54 or SB54).
Nick Schroer is the sponsor of the legislation, which aims at reclassifying all hemp-derived intoxicants as cannbabis and putting them under the same regulation as marijuana sold by licensed dispensaries.
In a Senate hearing that was packed on January 24th, 2025, both cannabis and hemp industry stakeholders voiced support or opposition. This highlighted the stakes involved for Missouri consumers and businesses.
It comes as a result of growing concerns about the unregulated products of hemp that flood convenience stores and gas stations across America, often being marketed towards children.
MoCannTrade is a Missouri-based trade association that represents the cannabis industry. They say this measure fits with the Farm Bill 2018, in which hemp and its nontoxic derivatives were legalized federally.
Thomas Robbins, a MoCann lobbyist said: “If the compound in a cannabis plant makes you feel high, then it should be classified as marijuana.”
Robbins criticized also the practice that involves chemically altering CBD-derived hemp to create powerful synthetic cannabinoids, like delta-8 or delta-10 THC. These compounds, which skirt existing regulations, have flooded the market as products labeled ‘diet weed’ or ‘gas station pot,’ often featuring packaging that mimics children’s snacks.
Representatives of the hemp trade, like the Missouri Hemp Trade Association (Mo Hemp Trade Association), argue that the bill will destroy local businesses. Brooklyn Hill, president of the Missouri Hemp Trade Association, stated that the bill would shut down “hundreds of businesses” and cause Missourians to lose their jobs, including her father’s manufacturing business in rural Missouri.
MoCannTrade is trying to strike a balance by proposing an amendment that will allow low-dose THC-hemp beverages to be sold in liquor and grocery stores. The maximum amount of THC allowed per serving would be 5 milligrams. However, these drinks must not contain synthetically produced THC. Schroer has confirmed that he plans to include such language in a replacement version of the legislation.
Even with this compromise hemp supporters remain against it. Hill criticized the carve-out as insufficient, while others, like lobbyist Eapen Thampy, voiced concerns about Missouri’s marijuana regulatory framework, which they claim is a ‘licensing monopoly’ that would unfairly force hemp businesses out of the market.