Beginning July 1, Missouri’s cannabis cultivators and manufacturers will be subject to surprise inspections by state regulators. The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services will focus on evaluating the safety and quality of finished cannabis products intended for retail sale, as reported by Columbia TV station KOMU.
These inspections come in response to a series of high-profile product recalls, including a case where a manufacturer lost its license due to safety violations. The initiative aims to address concerns about product labeling and contamination, issues that have led regulators in other states to issue recalls or take punitive actions against companies.
In Missouri, approximately 82% of cannabis products are tested by a single laboratory, referred to as ‘Lab D’ in public records. This lab has reported a lower failure rate compared to others in the state. Under the new inspection regime, Missouri plans to test 50 products per month. The state lawmakers have allocated $2.4 million for random sampling in the fiscal year starting July 1, 2024, although much of this funding has remained unspent as regulators refine their testing methods.
Additionally, the inspections come in the wake of stronger actions against companies selling THCA flower, which some claim is federally compliant hemp. Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey has already issued warnings to 18 hemp companies to cease selling these products, as state lawmakers have yet to regulate them adequately.
The move towards surprise inspections underscores a growing emphasis on cannabis product safety and regulatory compliance in Missouri’s evolving cannabis industry.
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