A law taking effect today is intended to make edible, marijuana-infused products sold to Missouri medical marijuana patients less likely to appeal to minors, according to a news release from the Missouri Medical Cannabis Trade Association (MoCannTrade).
The new law won't allow manufacturers to use shapes like animals, fruit or cartoon characters for their products.
However, the products may be manufactured in geometric shapes, such as circles, squares or rectangles, according to the release.
Also, the edibles must be contained in packages stamped with a diamond containing the letters "THC," signifying the primary psychoactive ingredient of marijuana. Packages must also be stamped with the letter "M" to indicate it is a medicinal product and the number of milligrams of THC contained within the product. The marks must be prominently placed on the front of the packages.
MoCannTrade butted heads with lawmakers over more extensive bans on the edible forms of marijuana, which the organization saw as excessive restrictions, which would have prevented patient access for the edibles. Some industry supporters see the edibles as a safer, more desirable consumption method than smoking, according to the release.
"More and more doctors are recommending that patients using medical marijuana consider trying edibles or other smokeless forms of the medicine, which is why we fought so hard against legislation that would have largely banned this choice," MoCannTrade Executive Director Andrew Mullins said.
The new law is an important compromise that provides patient access to medical marijuana edibles, gives the cannabis industry certainty of what products it can offer and helps keep the medicine out of the hands of minors, he continued.
Missouri voters passed the medical marijuana law by about a 2-to-1 margin in November 2018.