Missouri Hemp Industry Challenges State's Intoxicating Hemp Ban in Federal Court
A federal judge is currently reviewing a lawsuit challenging Missouri's new law that bans intoxicating hemp products. The Missouri Hemp Trade Association, as the plaintiff, argues that the law, House Bill 2641, is unconstitutionally vague because it creates conflicting definitions, classifying a single product as both legal 'hemp' and illegal 'marijuana.' This ambiguity, they contend, leaves businesses uncertain about what products they can legally sell when the law takes effect on November 12. The state, however, asserts that the law is clear, stating that any product meeting the definition of a hemp-derived cannabinoid product is to be treated as marijuana. Missouri has requested Judge M. Douglas Harpool of the U.S. District Court Western District of Missouri to dismiss the lawsuit, claiming it is part of a broader national effort by the hemp industry to overturn similar state regulations. The federal law distinguishing marijuana and hemp, established by Congress in 2018, has been a source of ongoing deb... 
