Missouri's Intoxicating Hemp Hoax Report Validates California's Fight for Public Safety

When the Missouri Cannabis Trade Association released its comprehensive Hemp Hoax Report last month, it delivered a stark confirmation of what California's legal cannabis industry has been warning about for years: unregulated intoxicating hemp products pose a serious threat to public health, consumer safety, and fair market competition.

The Missouri study tested 55 products purchased from gas stations, smoke shops, and convenience stores across the state. The results were alarming: 96% of products tested as intoxicating marijuana( far exceeding the 0.3% THC legal threshold for hemp). Even more disturbing, 29% failed safety tests for dangerous contaminants, including pesticides, heavy metals, and residual solvents.

These findings mirror California's own Hemp Hoax research, which found that 95% of tested hemp products contained illicit substances. The parallels are undeniable: both states are grappling with the same bad actors exploiting legal loopholes to sell untested, untaxed marijuana disguised as hemp-often in packaging that mimics popular candy brands and appeals directly to children.

This is precisely why Governor Newsom's signing of AB 8 (Aguiar-Curry) was so crucial for California. The new law closes the loophole that allowed intoxicating hemp products to flood the market outside of licensed dispensaries. By requiring that any hemp-derived cannabinoid product containing detectable THC be regulated under California's cannabis system, AB 8 ensures these products meet the same rigorous safety testing, taxation, and age verification standards as licensed cannabis.

Missouri's report highlights the stakes when states fail to act. Their unregulated hemp market has created a parallel economy where:

• Children can access highly potent THC products without ID checks

• Consumers unknowingly purchase contaminated products containing heavy metals and pesticides

• Legal cannabis businesses lose market share to unlicensed operators who pay zero taxes

• Local communities miss out on millions in tax revenue that should fund veterans' healthcare, substance abuse programs, and public education

California's proactive approach with AB 8 protects what Missouri is now fighting to reclaim: a functional legal marketplace where consumer safety comes first, products are tested and regulated, and tax dollars support communities rather than enriching bad actors.