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Missouri House Passes Bill To Ban Hemp THC Drinks, Gummies And Other Products

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“We’re not pioneering anything new here. What Missouri is doing … is simply aligning our state statutes with federal action.”

By Rebecca Rivas, Missouri Independent

The Missouri House passed a bill Thursday that would ban all intoxicating hemp products — like THC seltzer or hemp-derived THC edibles currently sold at gas stations and smoke shops — beginning in November.

The bill, sponsored by Republican state Rep. Dave Hinman of O’Fallon, would ban hemp products from containing more than 0.4 milligrams of THC per container, among the limits included in a provision of a federal spending bill passed by Congress last year.

Even if Congress were to reverse course and decide to allow the sale of these products, Hinman’s bill would allow them to be sold only at licensed marijuana dispensaries in Missouri. And if Congress chooses to delay the ban for a couple of years, Missouri would ban all products except alcoholic beverages.

With a vote of 109-34, the bill now goes to the Senate for consideration.

“We’re not pioneering anything new here,” Hinman said during Thursday’s debate on his bill. “What Missouri is doing … is simply aligning our state statutes with federal action so that our law enforcement, highway patrol, local prosecutors and the attorney general’s office can work together with our federal partners. No loopholes, no loopholes.”

Republican state representative Matthew Overcast of Ava spoke out against the bill, particularly a provision that says intoxicating hemp products “shall be considered marijuana” and regulated equally.

This would essentially ban all intoxicating hemp sold in the state because marijuana must be grown in Missouri and most hemp is grown elsewhere. It would also require that hemp products be sold in licensed cannabis dispensaries, which can only sell products grown in Missouri licensed cultivation facilities.

Overcast argued that the Missouri constitution already defines what constitutes marijuana, and that only voters, not lawmakers, can change that definition. And while proponents say the changes are necessary to protect children from getting these products, Overcast said, the reality is the bill will only protect the marijuana industry from competition.

“We cannot rewrite voter-approved language by statute because some market participants prefer less competition,” Overcast said. “If protecting children was really the goal, we know what works: age restrictions, standards, clear labelling, packaging protections, responsible retail rules.”

Hinman said he believes Missouri lawmakers have the power to make that change.

“The (Missouri) Constitution defines marijuana as anything from the hemp plant except industrial hemp,” Hinman said. “Cannabinoid products derived from hemp are not industrial hemp. They are intoxicating.”

The cloud also argued invoice does not allow Missouri to continue to comply with federal guidelines. If Congress were to pass legislation allowing states to sell intoxicating hemp products outside of marijuana dispensaries, Overcast said Missouri businesses would not be able to do so because Hinman’s bill allows them to sell only within what he called a “marijuana monopoly.”

“That’s not public safety, that’s not security policy,” he said. “This is about picking winners and losers.”

State officials estimated in 2024 that 40,000 food establishments and smoke shops and 1,800 food manufacturers were selling products that would be banned under the proposed federal regulations. This includes low-THC seltzers such as Mighty Kind and Triple, which have grown in popularity in liquor stores and bars.

Hinman’s legislation is one of the first bills to pass the House this year. He previously told The Independent that the legislation was a priority for state leadership, including the governor, attorney general and House speaker.

It will be the fourth year Missouri lawmakers have tried to regulate intoxicating hemp productsending the previous discussions in deadlocks.

Hinman told The Independent Thursday evening that he is “pro-small business” and that this was not a bill he wanted to pass this year, but the state is in line with the coming federal cuts.

“All of last year and right up until this federal decision, I was pushing to make the drinks and low-dose gummies available for those small businesses to sell,” he said.

For 10 months last year, he said, he tried to bring together hemp business owners to propose a regulatory framework outside of marijuana rules.

“And they couldn’t come to a conclusion about what would be acceptable,” Hinman said.

Limiting the products to being sold only at cannabis dispensaries also wasn’t his priority, he said, but it’s a regulatory framework the state already has in place.

His original language stated that Missouri would delay its ban if the federal government did, but he said that would inadvertently leave the products unregulated in the state indefinitely.

“And then we’re back to trying to create a regulatory framework for hemp products,” he said. “The attorney general was not happy because he wants to get something done. And of course, the police do … their hands are tied with continuing an unregulated market.”

If Congress decides to allow low-dose THC hemp products to be sold outside of dispensaries, Missouri would have to go back and pass legislation allowing that, he said.

Republican state representative Jeff Myers of Warrenton advocated closing the loopholes that opened up when Congress legalized hemp in the 2018 Farm Bill.

“All we’re saying is the federal government stepped back and dealt with a loophole that was exploited,” he said. “We’re closing that gap.”

This story was first published by the Missouri Independent.

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Curaleaf secures $500M financing, extends debt maturity to 2029

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February 20, 2026

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Curaleaf Holdings has closed a $500 million private debt financing, refinancing existing obligations and extending the maturity of the debt by more than two years.

The company issued senior secured notes with an interest rate of 11.5%, due in February 2029. At the same time, Curaleaf repaid $475 million in prepayments due in December 2026. According to the company, the transaction is non-dilutive and was completed at par.

The refinancing effectively pushes Curaleaf’s near-term debt obligations further down the road, giving the company additional runway as it continues to operate in multiple international cannabis markets. The net proceeds from the offering will be used to support global growth initiatives, as well as to cover transaction-related costs.

© Curaleaf

“This financing strengthens our balance sheet and gives us greater flexibility to execute our long-term strategy,” said Boris Jordan, President and CEO of Curaleaf. He described the deal as the largest bond offering completed in the cannabis sector to date, and pointed to renewed interest from institutional investors as a sign of increased confidence in the industry.

The notes pay interest annually and are secured against the company’s assets. The financing structure also allows for debt issuance under certain leverage conditions, along with $100 million in senior bank financing.

The private placement was conducted under existing securities law exemptions in Canada and the United States and was led by Seaport Global Securities, with ATB Cormark Capital Markets acting as placement agent.

For more information:
Curaleaf
(email protected)
curaleaf.com



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GOP Congressman And Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner Urge McConnell To Support Delaying Hemp THC Ban

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February 20, 2026

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A GOP congressman and Kentucky’s agriculture commissioner are pleading with a key Republican senator who initially helped lead the push to legalize hemp before approving the recriminalization of THC products to back a proposed two-year delay. industry players to implement a policy that would revolutionize the market.

As prohibitionists mount a lobbying campaign for the recriminalization of most hemp-derived cannabinoid products, Rep. James Comer (R-KY) and Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner Jonathan Shell are urging Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) to join them in the fight to give hemp companies more time to navigate the critical policy change that takes effect in November.

“Kentucky has long been a national leader in hemp research, production and innovation — leadership made possible in large part by your historic efforts to legalize industrial hemp at the federal level,” Comer — who also previously served as Kentucky’s agriculture commissioner — and Shell said in a letter to McConnell on Thursday. “Because of that leadership, Kentucky farmers invested responsibly in this emerging crop, built infrastructure, created jobs and contributed to rural economic development across the Commonwealth.”

But that progress is being jeopardized by appropriations legislation signed into law by President Donald Trump last year, with provisions that would redefine what constitutes legal hemp by imposing tough restrictions on THC content that would eliminate the edible cannabinoid product.

“The provision (continuing resolution) received in November has introduced a great deal of uncertainty into the market at a critical time,” the congressman and commissioner wrote. “Hemp is an annual crop, and farmers are now making decisions about seed, labor contracts, financing and the next growing season. Without additional time and clarity, many Kentucky growers risk making planting decisions that could jeopardize the long-term viability of their farms.”

Both urged McConnell to throw his support behind an independent bill sponsored by Rep. Jim Baird (R-IN) and 24 bipartisan co-sponsors. give the hemp industry two more years before the federal ban on THC products goes into effectin the hope that it will better position stakeholders to negotiate a broader compromise with parliamentarians.

Baird’s bill “will not resolve the broader policy questions surrounding hemp, but it would give farmers, processors and regulators the certainty needed to plan responsibly while Congress considers a sustainable and well-informed way forward,” Comer and Shell wrote. “This additional time is essential to avoid unintended consequences for family farms and rural communities that have acted in good faith under existing federal and state law.”

“We respectfully ask that you allow time for this extension to move forward and help ensure that Kentucky farmers are not put at a disadvantage through abrupt policy changes,” they said. “Doing so would reaffirm Kentucky’s leadership in agriculture and honor its commitment to growers who have answered the call to grow this crop.”

It is not yet clear whether McConnell will follow through on the officials’ request. Trump signed the 2018 Farm Bill in his first term while championing the legalization of hemp, The former Senate Majority Leader has advocated for clearing the hemp THC market that he has described as an unintended consequence of wider agricultural legislation.

However, the hemp industry is fueled by proactive advocacy by Kentucky officials.

“This letter adds two important and influential voices to the growing chorus of Kentucky agriculture leaders calling on Senator McConnell to reconsider his efforts to destroy hemp as a viable crop for Kentucky farmers,” said Jim Higdon, co-founder and communications director of the Kentucky-based Cornbread Mompment. “By establishing a two-year extension, stakeholders can work with Congress to find meaningful solutions to Senator McConnell’s legitimate concerns without destroying the entire industry.”

Meanwhile, anti-cannabis interests are calling on their supporters to keep up the pressure on Congress to maintain the THC ban without delay.

“Congress took an important step to protect youth when it enacted new restrictions on intoxicating cannabis products last year, but it’s critical to implement these new rules without delay,” the Partnership to End Addiction (formerly the Association for a Drug-Free America) said in a recent action alert.

“Some members of the industry and Congress are pushing to delay the implementation of this law, claiming that more time is needed to develop regulations,” the group said, and that “an extension of the implementation deadline could be included as Congress works to reauthorize the Farm Bill.”

To that end, the House Agriculture Committee will mark up the final Farm Bill in a hearing on Monday.

“But the one-year implementation period is reasonable, giving manufacturers and retailers time to adapt and regulators to prepare for enforcement,” the Partnership said. he said. “A delay would further entrench the market and allow the continued availability of dangerous products, leading to further exposure of young people and negative health consequences.”

“Send a letter asking your members of Congress to oppose efforts to delay the implementation of the new definition of hemp and to keep the law’s effective date to minimize the harm these intoxicating products can cause, especially to young people,” he said, offering a form to send a pre-written letter to congressional representatives.

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Meanwhile, last month, major alcohol retailers joined forces to push Congress to delay the enactment of the law signed by Trump which will re-criminalize THC drinks and other products derived from hemp.

The coalition says it wants to apply the same regulatory structure that governs alcoholic beverages, distributors and retailers to hemp beverages to “ensure safe and transparent access.”

Other alcohol industry groups such as The Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America has also supported the regulation of hemp products instead of banning

read it the letter Comer and Shell discuss delaying the federal hemp THC ban below:

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Screens show the greatest potential to steer greenhouse industry towards climate neutrality

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February 19, 2026

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The closing ceremony of the Interreg Flanders–Netherlands Energlik project took place in Hoogstraten, Belgium, where researchers and industry stakeholders gathered to present and discuss the project’s results. The study day was organized by the Energlik consortium under the coordination of Proefcentrum Hoogstraten.

As part of the Energlik project, eleven partners from Flanders and the Netherlands joined forces to reduce greenhouse CO₂ emissions by 2030 and take concrete steps to achieve climate neutrality by 2050.

The project focused on the development of four innovative technologies aimed at reducing CO₂ emissions in greenhouse production. In addition to the practical tests, additional studies were carried out to assess the economic viability and environmental impact of the innovations.

Interreg’s Bram De Kort highlighted the importance of the initiative at the closing ceremony: “Interreg stimulates cross-border cooperation and supports strong projects that create added value for people, the economy and the planet. Energli is a great example of this.”

© Hoogstraten Test Center

Four innovations for less CO₂ emissions
One of the technologies developed as part of the project is a CO₂ capture system that collects, purifies and stores CO₂ from the heating plant, then reuses it in the crop. This allows producers to decouple heat demand from CO₂ supply. The system is based on Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA). Thomas More’s Jan Creylman explained: “PSA is a low-tech method of concentrating CO₂ from flue gases. It can be easily combined with a CHP plant and is cost-effective, safe and scalable.”

© Hoogstraten Test Center

A second innovation focused on the development of new screen materials to improve greenhouse insulation and reduce heat loss, thus reducing CO₂ emissions. Emphasis was placed on the properties of screens.

“It has been scientifically confirmed that the growers were right in assuming that dehumidification through the screen is very effective,” said Filip Bronchart of the University of Ghent.

The third innovation focused on energy-efficient active dehumidification systems. These systems remove moisture from the greenhouse without opening the vents, preventing energy losses.

“Within Energlik, we explored the possibilities of energy-efficient dehumidification of greenhouse air, based on proven techniques from other sectors,” added Bronchart.

© Hoogstraten Test Center

Finally, the members of the project have developed sensors capable of detecting fungal spores. Energy-efficient cultivation often needs to be airtight for longer periods of time, which can increase the risk of fungal diseases.

“We have previously successfully used biosensors to detect bacteria and molecules, but fungal spores were more challenging. With surface printing and electropolymerization, we have identified two ways to detect fungal spores,” explains Bart van Grinsven.

These sensors may enable more accurate monitoring of fungal pressure in the future, allowing growers to intervene earlier.

© Hoogstraten Test Center

Innovations tested in practice
Many innovations were tested in practice. New screen materials were developed, measured and selected based on insulation performance. The best performing screens were then used in crop trials with tomato, sweet pepper and cucumber, combining three screens for each crop.

© Hoogstraten Test Center

Different types of dehumidification systems were also designed, built and installed. These included heat recovery systems and systems equipped with heat pumps. Combined with climate and screen control strategies, these measures resulted in significant energy savings across all crops, with no loss of production.

© Hoogstraten Test Center

In addition, a trial in a commercial tomato greenhouse demonstrated that more intensive use of multiple screens, day and night, significantly reduces energy consumption.

Tomato producer Jelle De Ryck from Tomerel he reflected on his experience: “In 2025, we did not have to turn on our gas boiler, while in 2024 – despite the warmer spring – this was still necessary. This was possible with the double energy screen and the more intensive use of the screen.

© EnergyJelle De Ryck from Tomerel shared her experiences as a demo member of the Energlik project on October 2, 2025 during a visit to the Vegetable Research Station in Sint-Katelijne-Waver.

Screens show the greatest potential
Economic and environmental assessments indicate that energy screens currently offer the greatest potential to move the greenhouse industry towards climate neutrality. They require a relatively limited investment and provide significant heat savings, especially in crops without light. Combined with energy-efficient dehumidification systems, CO₂ emissions can be further reduced.

“Dehumidification systems reduce the environmental impact, but high efficiency is essential,” explained ILVO’s Luis Corbala Robles. Their economic viability depends largely on investment costs.

For other innovations, the added economic and environmental value is less clear at this stage, partly due to the high investment costs and the need for further research. These factors will influence which technologies are adopted in commercial practice in the future.

The project also emphasized that energy-efficient cultivation strategies (such as accepting higher relative humidity levels and increasing screen hours) can lead to significant savings without requiring additional investment from growers.

Silke Hemming from Wageningen University & Research emphasizes this point: “Accepting a higher relative humidity, using a heat pump for dehumidification and installing more and better energy screens make the most important contribution to saving energy in fruit and vegetable crops.”

Source: Hoogstraten Test Center / energy

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