(The Center Square) – Missouri Republican Gov. Mike Parson expressed “extreme disappointment” in a letter to Republican Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft for not approving an executive order to stop sales of food products with psychoactive cannabis.
Parson issued Executive Order 24-10 on Aug. 1 during a news conference in his office at the state capitol, citing a 600% increase in cannabis poisoning resulting in an emergency room visit or hospitalization of children age 5 and under since 2018. The products Parson wanted off the consumer market are often marketed with packaging resembling brand-name foods and candies to entice public consumption, especially with young consumers.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration consistently warned consumers Delta-8 THC products hadn’t been evaluated or approved for safe use in any context. A report by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services found cannabis poisoning in children age 5 and under requiring hospitalization or an emergency room visit almost doubled in 2021, the first full year of legalized medical marijuana in the state.