Filibustering SB 54 – AB’s Poison Pill

This afternoon at 4pm we expect Senate Bill 54 to come up for debate on the Senate Floor. This is the MOCANNTRADE bill banning hemp outside of dispensaries, with the exception of 5mg beverages. If passed, it is inevitable that this legislation makes its way to the desk of Governor Mike Kehoe – who will have the uneviable decision of whether or not to veto it in the face of significant influence campaigns on both sides.

We have worked over this last week to ensure we have enough Senators to filibuster this bill. But there’s a wrinkle, and perhaps we caught a lucky break.

Early last week we heard that Anheuser-Busch, which is now owned by Inbev, after their merger in 2008, is pushing an amendment to Senate Bill 54 to ensure that the THC beverages are held in locked coolers or behind the shelf. Our best intel is that Anheuser-Busch wants to kill SB 54 outright by inserting this amendment as a poison pill – flipping support from hemp beverage brands and distributors including Steven Busch of Krey Distribution.

A little background – Anheuser-Busch’s parent company, Inbev, was partnered with Canadian marijuana company Tilray until their separation in 2022. One presumes they oppose this patchwork of state regulations in favor of federal regulations, which we know are coming, possibly this year.

Expect an update tomorrow morning pending the results of this evening’s Senate floor action…

Engaging Your Customers & Employees to Fight the Hemp/THCA Ban Bills

This downloadable PDF has a QR code that you can print off and post by your register so your customers can scan and send an email to their Missouri State Representative & Senator opposing House Bill 593 and Senate Bill 54, which would ban hemp products outside of dispensaries with the exception of 5mg THC beverages.

Some retailers are offering a 10% discount or a free pre-roll to customers who send this email. Over 200 emails were sent yesterday through this QR code and I expect a lot more will go out today.

For Business Owners

This downloadable PDF has the constituent contact campaign QR code, a QR code for businesses to donate to support our lobbying efforts, and a QR code to join our Whatsapp group. Please share this with other hemp business owners. If you are a distributor you should print off a copy for all your customers that you can send out with an invoice when they order product.

We are grateful to Art Massolo, executive Vice President at the US Hemp Roundtable, for their help in getting this constituent contact campaign started: https://hempsupporter.com/bill/help-protect-hemp-products-in-missouri/

MOCANNTRADE’s Senate Bill 54

Scheduled Monday 3/24 @ 4pm

We are told that MOCANNTRADE’s Senate Bill 54 is scheduled for a floor debate at 4pm next Monday, March 24. It could also come up on Tuesday. This is the legislation that would put hemp THC products only in licensed marijuana dispensaries, with the exception of 5mg beverages.

I am asking any business owners or constituents to join us at the Missouri Capitol at noon that day to meet with Senate offices. For information on parking, and other details on visiting the Missouri Capitol, view our Hemp Lobbying Day handout here.

Next Steps

There are only 8 weeks left in the 2025 Session of the Missouri General Assembly.

We are going to pivot to killing House Bill 593 and Senate Bill 54, the MOCANNTRADE bills effectively banning hemp products with the exception of the beverage carveout. Currently, we believe we have in the neighborhood of 10 Senators who will filibuster or speak against SB 54.

I want to particularly thank lobbyists Jake Silverman (Missouri Vape & Alternative Products Association) and Ron Leone (Missouri Petroleum & Convenience Association) for their work. And of course Representative Dave Hinman has been an incredible champion for us and I could not be more grateful for his support.

I would urge all of the business owners on this list to make some time with me to come up to the Capitol and meet with lawmakers. Last year we had dozens of business owners come up for this purpose – this year far fewer of you all have made that trip. This is one of the factors in our control that will help bolster our position.

HB 593 (Perkins) Advances

Last week, the House General Laws Committee voted “DO PASS” House Bill 593 (Rep. Perkins) on a 8-1 margin, with Rep. David Tyson Smith voting no. This is the MOCANNTRADE bill.

It’s now up to Majority Floor Leader Alex Riley to schedule HB 593 for a floor vote. Leader Riley previously voted against this legislation in 2023 when he chaired General Laws.

Rep. Overcast’s HB 422 for Hemp Feed Referred to House Agriculture Committee

HB 422, which includes hemp seed in the definition of commercial animal feed, was sent to the House Agriculture Committee. We anticipate a hearing in the next few weeks. It seems the Dept. of Agriculture is concerned about risks to federal funding if we diverge from federal policy here, but we’ll see if that can be mitigated…

Resources for Hemp Businesses

I have drafted a 1 pager against Senate Bill 54 and House Bill 593, which you can download here.

The Grunt Style Foundation (GSF), a nonprofit representing military veterans and first responders, has  released a letter in support of legal hemp. You can read the GSF letter here.

You can also look at the 1 pager drafted by Ron Leone for the Missouri Petroleum & Convenience Association from 2024 here (bill numbers are different but the arguments are the same).

We have started a WhatsApp group called the Missouri Hemp Initiative. Join here: https://chat.whatsapp.com/CfQErpYb5jZ0mDDmbgSAMq

We are also fortunate to have many friends in associated industry associations. I am certain we will see testimony & support for our position from the Missouri Petroleum & Convenience Association, the Missouri Vape & Alternative Product Association, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and several other trade associations and non-profits.

For information on parking, and other details on visiting the Missouri Capitol, view our Hemp Lobbying Day handout here.