Missouri AG cracks down on 33 unlicensed cannabis retailers

March 28, 2026

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway said her office has sent 33 cease-and-desist letters to unlicensed retailers accused of selling cannabis products outside of the state’s laws, alleging that the businesses are selling deceptively marked and unsafe substances.

The letters were sent to 18 spots in the St. Louis area, 13 in the Kansas City region, and two near Springfield. Hanaway said the sellers are violating Missouri’s consumer protection laws by marketing products as marijuana despite not complying with state regulations on cannabis sales.

“These unlicensed dispensaries are peddling dangerous, deceptive, and intoxicating cannabis and marijuana products,” Hanaway said in a statement. “A storefront and a sales counter do not magically convert an illegal drug operation into a legitimate business.”

According to the AG’s office, lab testing found some of the products sold at the stores had contaminants like lead, arsenic, mercury, and ethanol, as well as pesticides, solvents, and unknown byproducts. Officials said none of the items are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for medical use.

The specific rules the dispensaries are claimed to have violated are part of the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act. That covers deceptive labeling, marketing that may appeal to children, and the sale of tainted/contaminated products that could pose health risks to consumers. The office is demanding that the businesses stop selling the products immediately and discontinue their misleading packaging and advertising.

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Missouri legalized medical marijuana in 2018 and recreational marijuana in 2022. Through this regulated system, it only allows state-licensed facilities to sell cannabis products within those rules.

The attorney general’s office did not say whether additional enforcement actions or penalties could follow if the businesses fail to comply with the orders.

Officials are encouraging people who believe they were misled or harmed by the products to file complaints at ago.mo.gov.

List of the businesses that got cease-and-desist letters:

St. Louis Region: