Missouri's Attorney General Sues Four Retailers Over Fake Hemp THC Sales

Missouri's top law enforcement official is taking four retailers to court over what her office calls deceptive cannabis sales. Attorney General Catherine Hanaway announced last week that the state is suing the businesses for allegedly selling illegal THC products that were falsely marketed as hemp.

According to her office, the problem goes beyond the products themselves. The four retailers are also accused of presenting themselves as state-legal cannabis dispensaries when they were not, which could easily lead customers to believe they were buying regulated, tested products from licensed operators. In Missouri, adult-use and medical cannabis are sold through a licensed system, so a shop that implies it belongs to that system without actually being part of it is making a significant claim.

Hanaway framed the lawsuits as a matter of consumer honesty. She said Missourians deserve honesty and legality from the businesses operating in their communities, signaling that her office views the alleged mislabeling and the imitation of licensed dispensaries as a consumer protection issue as much as a drug law one.

The cases highlight a tension that has played out in many states. Hemp-derived products can sit in a regulatory gray zone, and some retailers have taken advantage by selling high-THC items under a hemp label. Meanwhile, licensed cannabis businesses follow strict rules on testing, packaging, and where they can operate, and they often complain that unlicensed competitors undercut them while skipping those costs.

For Missouri shoppers, the message is to check that a store holds a valid state license before assuming that what is on the shelves has been tested and regulated. The lawsuits are still at an early stage, and the outcome will show how aggressively the state plans to police this part of the market.