KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A new joint task force announced Tuesday hopes to "combat the spread of unregulated psychoactive cannabis products in Missouri."
Missouri Gov. Mike Parson and Attorney General Andrew Bailey announce the new task force in a press conference outside of the governor’s office in Jefferson City.
The task force will pull from resources in the AG’s office and the state’s Division of Alcohol and Tobacco Control to investigate licensees selling "unregulated psychoactive cannabis products" and any marketing practices geared toward the sale of such products.
"Together, with the help of the Attorney General and his team, we will root out these cannabis products being deceptively marketed to our children until such time the General Assembly provides the statutory framework for commonsense regulations," Parson said in a release Tuesday.
The results of any review would then be shared with the AG’s Consumer Protection Division for potential prosecution.
Bailey office says they would use powers afforded to them through the Missouri Merchandizing Practices Act to bring prosecution.
Bailey said Tuesday that Missourians "have a right to know what is in the products" they consume.
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"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 in a release. "We will enforce the law to protect our children every step of the way."
Parson has taken an interest in the topic for the last several months, authoring an executive order last month prohibiting "the sale of foods containing psychoactive cannabis compounds" in the state unless from "an approved source."
Parson said he “strongly disagrees” with the viewpoint of some that there is not an emergency or threat to Missourians.
Formation of the task force comes after Missouri Secretary of State John Ashcroft declined to approve the emergency rulemaking process needed to enforce Parson’s executive order.
The Missouri Department of Health and Human Services says it has visited 64 facilities across the state since the beginning of September, claiming to have found 39 of them offering "unregulated psychoactive cannabis products" for sale.
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