What are unregulated psychoactive cannabis products?

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services has been trying to make clear which cannabis products are – and which are not – allowed to be sold.

There is currently a state-wide crackdown on unregulated cannabis products, with many shops having their shelves emptied and their products confiscated by authorities.

Some cannabis products have been legally sold in the state since 2022.

Beginning December 8, 2022, consumers were allowed to legally possess up to 3 ounces of marijuana. However, marijuana was not to be available for consumers to purchase in a Missouri licensed dispensary facility until medical facility licensees converted their licenses to comprehensive facilities.

The current problem has arisen mainly because the unregulated cannabis is being packaged in bright colors and sold to younger people.

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services describes “unregulated psychoactive cannabis products” as follows:

Unregulated psychoactive cannabis products are products that contain chemical substances that cause or have the potential to cause psychoactive effect, including those that are created by a chemical reaction that changes the molecular structure of naturally occurring chemical substances or cannabinoids from the Cannabis sativa L. plant.

Generally, CBD, CBN, CBG, CBDa, CBGa, CBDV, CBDVa, CBGV, CBGVa, CBNa, CBC, CBCa, and similar substances do not have psychoactive effect.

Generally, Delta-9 THC, Delta-8 THC, Delta-10 THC, Delta-11 THC, HHC, THCa, THCO, THCV, THCP, THCB, THCH, THCJD, THCX, HHCP, and similar substances do have psychoactive effect.

Any cannabinoid product marketed as having mind- or mood-altering effects (changes to perception, thoughts, emotions, behavior, or awareness) may contain psychoactive cannabinoids, even if the packaging does not disclose this fact.

And for those who need clarification on the difference between cannabis and marijuana, this is how National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health explains it:

The word “cannabis” refers to all products derived from the plant Cannabis sativa. The cannabis plant contains about 540 chemical substances. The word “marijuana” refers to parts of or products from the plant Cannabis sativa that contain substantial amounts of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). 

THC is the substance that’s primarily responsible for the effects of marijuana on a person’s mental state. Some cannabis plants contain very little THC. Under U.S. law, these plants are considered “industrial hemp” rather than marijuana.

This brings us to another point of argument – what is the difference between hemp and cannabis?

As Alexander Lechtman explains in an article on Filtermag.org: “Hemp and cannabis are the same plant; the legal distinction is that ‘hemp’ contains 0.3 percent or less of the cannabinoid THC by dry weight, while ‘marijuana’ contains more THC.”

According to Lechtman, Missouri authorities are targeting “intoxicating” products such as smokeables or edibles that contain cannabinoids derived from hemp.

“Store owners are objecting, and demanding greater legal and political clarity around hemp products,” he says.