Last call at the hemp THC beverage bar in St. Louis?

Lawmakers in the St.Louis area want to limit sales of hemp THC beverages to state-licensed marijuana stores.

The situation in Missouri’s largest metropolitan area is yet another example of the nationwide standoff between marijuana and hemp, the Missouri Independent reported. ADVERTISEMENT The push to limit hemp THC drinks and other intoxicating hemp-derived products follows the failure of state hemp regulations this spring.

And it could have major implications for both hemp-derived THC as well as Missouri’s estimated $1.6 billion annual cannabis market.Hemp THC drinks popular in Missouri bars Hemp-derived THC beverages and other intoxicating products are widely available in Missouri, including at bars, liquor stores and other outlets where alcoholic drinks are sold.

Hemp THC drinks comprise as much as 30% of sales at some bars, according to reports.That would change at least in St.

Louis, the state’s second-largest city after Kansas City but the largest metropolitan area overall, under a bill introduced on June 27 by St.Louis City Alderman Shane Cohn.

Cohn’s bill would limit sales to licensed marijuana stores and grant health regulators enforcement powers to remove offending products from store shelves and issue penalties.That’s similar to how California is enforcing a ban on hemp-derived THC products imposed last year.

Cohn’s proposal is identical to a bill introduced in the state Legislature earlier this year. ADVERTISEMENT As The Independent reported, that effort failed after a significant backlash, including an extraordinary seven-hour filibuster.

Hemp THC bans at state and federal levels, too Another proposal to restrict hemp products at the county level in St.Louis is one vote away from passage, according to The Independent.

Critics accused the licensed marijuana industry of backing the ban as part of a monopoly push.Similar accusations have b...