Physician's Perspective: How Harmful are Unregulated Cannabis Products?
Understanding the risks of unregulated cannabis from a doctor's perspective
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Do you know what’s in your cannabis?
When you buy from licensed dispensaries, you know your cannabis products are regulated, taxed and tested safe for consumption. Buying from anywhere else? You just never know.
Know the Difference
Understand the benefits of choosing regulated, tested and safe cannabis products from licensed dispensaries.
The Good
Buying/consuming cannabis products from licensed, regulated dispensaries
- Safe, been tested safe for human consumption
- Know its packaged and labeled to not be attractive to children
- Know exactly how potent it is
- Know exactly what the product contains
- Know how and where it was made and who made it
- Know it was produced by a licensed Missouri producer, in Missouri
- Know MO Division of Cannabis Regulation are overseeing all steps in process
- Know it's taxed and regulated — with tax revenues going to MO veterans, public defenders and local communities
- Know it's sold in 21+ retail dispensaries only, not accessible by youth/children
The Bad
Buying/consuming cannabis products from gas stations, C-stores, head shops, CBD Stores, vape shops or online retailers
- Potentially unsafe, untested and don't know what's in it
- No packaging or labeling regulations – deceives/entices underage consumers without proper warnings
- Don't know how potent it is
- Don't know if it contains claimed product
- Don't know how or where it was made or who made it
- Likely not grown or manufactured in Missouri and not paying cannabis taxes to fund veterans and local communities
- Don't know if it was tested. May contain harmful chemicals, contaminants, mycotoxins, heavy metals, pesticides or poisonous ingredients
- Untaxed, unregulated
- No age restrictions
PARENTAL WARNING!
The Dangers of Hemp-derived THC Products
There are many cannabis products being sold at unregulated retailers that work to mimic candy products, intentionally deceiving and enticing children to purchase.
To the unknowing eye, these products look exactly like their candy counterpart, except they contain large amounts of potentially dangerous, intoxicating, untested hemp-derived THC (200mg-1000mg). If you found any of these candy lookalike products in your child’s room, could you tell it was an intoxicating and possibly dangerous product?
Customers can trust licensed dispensaries because of their wide-selection of lab-tested, properly packaged and labeled, safe for consumption cannabis. Unfortunately, we’ve also seen the unregulated market grow with the recent explosion of dangerous, chemically converted hemp-derived THC intoxicants like Delta 8 and Delta 10. These dangerous products are available at unregulated retail stores across the state, including gas stations, c-stores, head shops, vape shops — even online and even to children.
These hemp-derived intoxicating cannabinoids are not safe, not tested, not regulated and consumers have no idea what harmful contaminants may be in these products. Read an advisory from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services here.
Read the FDA’s recent consumer update regarding the dangers and health risks of Delta 8 THC and other intoxicating hemp derived cannabinoids here.
Safety First!
Before you consume, you should always know what’s in your cannabis!
Download our informational one pager on Cannabis regulations and safety
Download One PagerEnvironmental contaminantsFentanylBanned pesticidesHarmful chemicalsPoisonous ingredientsResidual SolventsHeavy MetalsDangerous mycotoxinsUnexpected contents or dosingEnvironmental contaminantsFentanylBanned pesticidesHarmful chemicalsPoisonous ingredientsResidual SolventsHeavy MetalsDangerous mycotoxinsUnexpected contents or dosing
Unregulated THC Retailers
If you care about your health and safety, you should only buy cannabis products from trusted, licensed dispensaries!
Trusted Dispensaries
With gas stations and head shops masquerading as dispensaries, cannabis consumers need reassurance that the product they’re buying is high-quality, lab-tested, properly dosed, clearly labeled— and, most importantly — safe. This is only available in licensed dispensaries, which are devoted to the health, education and safety of Missouri customers, while benefiting veterans and local economies.
Your local, licensed dispensary knows what’s in their cannabis products. Do you know what’s in yours?
Find the closest licensed Missouri dispensary
Did You Know?
Between Jan 1, 2021 and Feb 28, 2022, National Poison Control Centers received 2,362 exposure cases of Delta 8 THC products. Of those 41% involved pediatric patients under 18 years of age.
– Source: Food & Drug Administration
With unregulated psychoactive cannabis products, there are no safety studies for human consumption and health effects are largely unknown, especially for children.
– Source: Missouri Department of Health & Senior Services
Edible cannabis exposures went up nearly 400% from January 2020 – April 2024 with increased exposures beginning with the establishment of the US Domestic Hemp Production Program in October 2019.
– Source: National Poison Data System
In Missouri, there has been a 600% increase in the number of children 5 and under experiencing cannabis poisoning that resulted in emergency room visits or hospitalizations since 2018.
– Source: Missouri Poison Center
Approximately 2 in 5 exposures of Delta 8, an unregulated intoxicating hemp product, are occurring in children.
– Source: National Poison Centers
Take a closer look at cannabis safety & education
Leading health, science and cannabis industry experts provide up to date information on cannabis use, safety and regulations for consumers of cannabis. Explore a comprehensive selection of important and eye-opening whitepapers highlighting the importance of cannabis regulations and safety, all focused on the health of Missouri residents, cannabis patients and consumers.
Opening Pandora's Box: The Dangers of Hemp-Derived Cannabis
The many dangers of an unregulated, intoxicating cannabinoid market
Download Whitepaper
Why Rigorous Testing of Cannabis Products is Always a Necessity
The many health and safety concerns surrounding hemp-derived cannabis products
Download WhitepaperTop 10 reasons you should ONLY purchase cannabis products from licensed dispensaries
- 1100% grown and manufactured safely in MO
- 2Lab tested, labeled and safe for consumption
- 3Free from harmful chemicals, contaminants and heavy metals
- 4Sold in childproof packaging and unavailable to those under 21
- 5Offered in a variety of innovative yet safe form factors
- 6Supports better health care for Missouri veterans
- 7Supporting 20,000 good-paying MO cannabis jobs
- 8Cannabis and local taxes support community food bank/nonprofit/sports team/etc.
- 9Providing Missourians a second chance by funding marijuana expungements
- 10Generating millions of dollars for local communities in every region of Missouri
“We are aware of the risks posed by product contaminants such as heavy metals, THC or other potentially harmful substances. We also have significant concerns about products marketed with false claims or statements such as omitted ingredients, incorrect statements about the amount of CBD, products marketed for use by vulnerable populations like children or infants, and products that otherwise put the public health at risk.”
“Much worse is the fact that these intoxicating products are completely unregulated and produced by overseas companies that intentionally market them to kids. It becomes a serious public health and safety crisis when kids are buying intoxicating products because they look like candy.”
“CBD and delta-8 THC are unapproved food additives for use in any human or animal food product, as the FDA is not aware of any basis to conclude that the substances are generally recognized as safe (GRAS) or otherwise exempt from food additive requirements.”
“Law enforcement has a tough enough job protecting the public's health and safety without having Missouri kids getting high on products that are untested, unsafe, unregulated, but legal.”
“We have seen the negative impacts of unregulated psychoactive cannabis products firsthand, numerous Missourians have been adversely affected by consuming foods laced with these products. Disturbingly, children in Missouri and across the nation have been hospitalized after ingesting these substances, and this is unacceptable.”
“As a former state trooper, I worked far too many fatality crashes that resulted from the misuse of regulated intoxicating products. Unregulated psychoactive cannabis products are untested and sold without any restrictions whatsoever. Law enforcement is encountering this new and often dangerous products and its consequences.”
“Children are more vulnerable than adults to the effects of THC, with many who have been sickened and even hospitalized after eating 'edibles' containing it. That's why we're issuing warnings to several companies selling copycat food products containing delta-8 THC, which can be easily mistaken for popular foods that are appealing to children.”
“Without question, our office and hundreds of thousands of parents and grandparents across the state view the matter of protecting Missouri children as an emergency in need of immediate action.”
Interested in helping to spread the word about the Know Your Cannabis campaign?
More Information
Have questions? We’re here to help!
Unregulated psychoactive cannabis products are products that contain chemical substances that cause or have the potential to cause psychoactive effect, including those that are created by a chemical reaction that changes the molecular structure of naturally occurring chemical substances or cannabinoids from the Cannabis sativa L. plant.
Generally, CBD, CBN, CBG, CBDa, CBGa, CBDV, CBDVa, CBGV, CBGVa, CBNa, CBC, CBCa, and similar substances do not have psychoactive effects. Generally, Delta-9 THC, Delta-8 THC, Delta-10 THC, Delta-11 THC, HHC, THCa, THCO, THCV, THCP, THCB, THCH, THCJD, THCX, HHCP, and similar substances do have psychoactive effects.
Any cannabinoid product marketed as having mind- or mood-altering effects (changes to perception, thoughts, emotions, behavior, or awareness) may contain psychoactive cannabinoids, even if the packaging does not disclose this fact.
Submit a report
Report stores and locations selling unregulated cannabis products to MO Dept. of Health.
Share your story
Share your experiences, perspective and insights related to the dangers of unregulated cannabis.
Submit a photo
Submit photos of harmful products, packaging or retailers offering unregulated cannabis products.
Contact Us
For inquiries, questions, or any other feedback, contact info@knowyourcannabis.org
For media Inquiries, contact Jack Cardetti at jcardetti@tightline.org