Attorney General Hanaway Orders 33 Unlicensed Dispensaries To Cease And Desist

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – In an ongoing effort to protect our communities from the detrimental effects of the illegal retail drug trade, Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway announced that her Office sent 33 cease and desist letters to unlicensed retailers selling intoxicating cannabis and marijuana products outside of Missouri’s Article XIV Constitutional framework. Attorney General Hanaway is demanding that the businesses stop selling adulterated, deceptive products, often marketed as marijuana, in violation of the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act.

“These unlicensed dispensaries are peddling dangerous, deceptive, and intoxicating cannabis and marijuana products. A storefront and a sales counter do not magically convert an illegal drug operation into a legitimate business,” said Attorney General Hanaway. “My Office is prepared to use the full extent of our authority to hold bad actors accountable.”

The Attorney General’s Office has sent cease and desist letters to 18 unlicensed dispensaries in the St. Louis region, 13 in the Kansas City region, and two in the Springfield region, all believed to be selling intoxicating products in violation of Missouri law.

Following lab testing, it was confirmed many of these businesses sold substances which contained lead, arsenic, mercury, ethanol, and other contaminants, solvents, pesticides or unknown byproducts. Products were marketed as “cannabis” or “marijuana” despite being completely outside of Missouri’s Article XIV Constitutional framework. None of these products are approved by the FDA for any medical use.

The cease and desist letters assert that the businesses in question are actively engaging in unfair deceptive practices prescribed by the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act. Attorney General Hanaway demands that the businesses cease the sale of these products, the use of deceptive packaging and labeling (including designs that target children), the sale of products in a manner designed to confuse consumers, and the sale of adulterated products that contain foreign and unsafe substances that pose a risk of, or cause, substantial injury to consumers.

Below are the businesses that received cease and desist letters:

St. Louis Region:

• 30314 Smoke Shop in St. Louis
• AREA 51 STL in St. Louis
• CBD Kratom Tower Grove in St. Louis
• Conoco / Zamani Mart in St. Louis
• Coughing Cardinal in St. Louis
• Far Out in Maplewood
• Flare Smoke N Vape in Ballwin
• Furr Dispensary in St. Louis
• Gateway Dispensary in St. Louis
• Get Plugged Dispensary in St. Louis
• Good Times Smoke Shop in St. Louis
• Moonlight Smoke Shop in St. Louis
• Muddy Waters Smoke Shop in St. Louis
• Paradise Smoke Shop in St. Louis
• Pit Stop Smoke Shop in St. Louis
• The Smoke Station in St. Louis
• Titanium Vapor in St. Louis
• Vaporized STL in Maplewood

Kansas City Region:

• Big Chiefs Kush Waldo in Kansas City
• Center Smoke Shop in Independence
• Smoke in Kansas City
• Gray Area Cannabis in Independence
• Herb Depot in Independence
• It’s A Dream in Kansas City
• KC Kush in Kansas City
• Main Smoke Shop KC in Kansas City
• Niceguy in Kansas City
• Prohibition Cannabis in Kansas City
• Sacred Leaf in Independence
• Super E Cig Smoke Shop in St. Joseph
• Vapor Maven in Cameron

Springfield Region:

• Puffer’s Choice in Clever
• Swin Dispensary in Nixa

Missourians who believe they were misled or harmed by illegal intoxicating cannabinoid products are encouraged to file a Consumer Protection complaint at ago.mo.gov.

The letter to Gray Area Cannabis can be viewed here.