Rebecca Rivas

The Missouri Court of Appeals Eastern District determined that counties don't have authority as a local government to impose an additional sales tax on recreational marijuana. In one case, cannabis customers paid a total sales tax of nearly 21%.

A circuit court in May ruled that both a county and a local municipality can impose a 3% sales tax at dispensaries in their jurisdictions. That's led to marijuana sales tax rates of nearly 18% in some places.

Missouri's microbusiness program was sold as a way to help victims of the War on Drugs get a toehold in the burgeoning industry. But contracts reveal out-of-state companies or industry insiders repeatedly attempted to use qualified applicants to win the licenses and then shut them out of the profit.

Following a lawsuit from the state's hemp industry, Missouri health regulators will stop embargoing products simply because they contain hemp-derived THC. Instead, they'll focus on identifying "misbranded" products.

Gov. Mike Parson signed an executive order to remove all hemp-derived THC edibles and beverages from store shelves and threatening penalties to any establishment that continues selling them. But industry leaders say the ban goes too far.

“As best I can tell, you denied this emergency rulemaking because you believe hurt feelings are more important than protecting children,” Gov. Mike Parson wrote in a letter to Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft.

More than 135,000 marijuana products were recalled last week, including vapes, edibles and pre-rolled joints. The state says no adverse reactions have been reported yet.

Gov. Mike Parson signed an executive order this month banning intoxicating hemp products and threatening penalties to any establishment with a Missouri liquor license or that sells food products for selling them. Details of how it will be enforced are still being written.

Crystal Quade and Mike Hamra are facing off in the Democratic gubernatorial primary. Both believe an abortion-rights amendment could help them win the governor’s mansion in November.

Under the 2022 constitutional amendment that legalized marijuana, Missouri courts were required to review and expunge previous misdemeanors by last June and felonies by last December. Those deadlines came and went, and many counties are still months or more away from completing the task.