ST. LOUIS — Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway announced the launch of a statewide investigation into retailers across the state that are selling intoxicating cannabinoid products, following what her office described as troubling reports that consumers may be exposed to unregulated, chemically altered and deceptively marketed THC-like substances.
Hanaway said the investigation aims to determine whether businesses selling these products have violated Missouri’s consumer protection laws and whether their practices may be putting consumers at risk.
Hanaway
In a statement, Hanaway noted that Missouri residents “deserve honesty and transparency, especially when it comes to products that can alter someone’s mind or put their health at risk.”
She said her office will intervene when businesses “choose to profit by selling powerful intoxicants while hiding what’s actually in them,” adding that the state will not allow consumers to be treated as “test subjects for unregulated chemical experiments.”
As part of the initial phase of the investigation, the Attorney General’s Office is issuing five Civil Investigative Demands to retailers believed to be manufacturing, distributing or selling intoxicating cannabinoid products.
The demands were sent to Moonlight Smoke Shop in St. Louis; Puffer’s Choice in Clever; Sacred Leaf, with locations in Independence and Kansas City; Swin Dispensaries, which operates in various western Missouri locations; and Vaporized, a retailer with multiple shops in and around St. Louis.
According to the release, these businesses represent significant points of sale in Missouri’s intoxicating cannabinoid market.
The Attorney General’s Office noted that these retailers are known to sell chemically altered or synthetic THC-like compounds, including Delta-8, Delta-10, THC-P, HHC, THC-O and similar derivatives.
The office stated that such substances can produce psychoactive effects that may be stronger or less predictable than naturally occurring Delta-9 THC.
Many of these products are created through chemical conversion processes and may contain contaminants, solvents or unknown byproducts.
Some of these items are marketed as “hemp” or “natural,” despite their intoxicating properties, increasing the risk of unexpected impairment, psychotic episodes or other adverse health effects, Hanaway noted.
None of these products have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for medical use.
The Civil Investigative Demands require each business to provide extensive information about how their products are made and marketed.
The demands seek disclosures on manufacturing and processing methods; the chemical composition of products; all ingredients used, including any synthesized or isolated cannabinoids; all consumer-facing claims regarding potency, safety or health effects; any testing conducted for contaminants or THC concentration; communications with customers about adverse reactions; and any materials showing whether products were sold as unapproved drug items or misleadingly labeled as legal hemp products.
Hanaway said consumer protection remains a core responsibility of her office, stating that “no company gets a free pass to cut corners, skirt the law, or gamble with someone else’s safety.”
She said that if the investigation finds that Missouri consumers were deceived or put at risk, her office “will act swiftly and decisively.”
The Attorney General’s Office is encouraging Missourians who believe they were misled or harmed by intoxicating cannabinoid products to file a complaint through its official website.
