More than a dozen smoke shops across the St. Louis region have been ordered to stop operations by Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway.
On Wednesday afternoon, Hanaway’s office announced it had issued 33 cease-and-desist letters to unlicensed retailers accused of selling intoxicating cannabis and marijuana products outside Missouri’s Article XIV constitutional framework.
“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.”
In the St. Louis region, 18 cease and desist letters were sent:
- 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
According to Catherine Hanaway’s office, officials sent 13 letters to businesses in the Kansas City region, while two were issued in the Springfield region.
Hanaway’s office said testing revealed that many of the businesses were selling substances containing lead, arsenic, mercury, ethanol, and other contaminants, including solvents, pesticides, or unknown byproducts. Officials also reported that some products were labeled “cannabis” or “marijuana” even though they fall outside the constitutional framework.